Kowakuteki Gokko - Alluring Game
by Kiija
Summary: Two best friends cause some trouble and end up being thrown into some interesting situations with familiar characters. Chapter 5 now up!! Rating may change, this is only a warning! ^__~ R&R and non-threatening flames will be accepted.
1. And She Does it Again...

**_NOTE: __Those of you that have read this before this is the same story just updated and condensed down a bit. I didn't condense the writing I just condensed the chapters. I know that this will be a long story and I would rather have long chapters than many chapters. ^__^_**

_Ok, you may dislike me for this, but this is a Self-Insertion, Alternate Universe fiction. I know SI are taboo, but give it a chance. I swear (cross my heart and hope to die) it isn't a normal crazy Fan Girl SI fic. _

_This is my first *published* fanfiction, and I would very much enjoy reviews and any critiques. The only flames I want to hear about are the ones Tasuki creates with his tessen. (But I enjoy flames as much as any other Sado-Masochist would.) I am writing in third person because I always seem to write that way. _

_The R rating will come into play later on in the fic, with tons of swearing, and some sexual situations. I may end up changing the rating when I finally write those chapters but I will cross that when I come to it.  ^__~_

_I do not own Fushigi Yuugi (I DON'T wish I owned it either), FY is owned by the great Watase Yuu and I am only writing this for fun and not money. Have a ball! _

_Arigatou! _

_                                  Kiija  ^___^_

**_Kowakuteki Gokko (Alluring Game) – Chapter 1_**

**_And She Does It Again…_**

                  Kiija and Alani slam the doors shut on the old, worn down Oldsmobile. Noire Bété, or Black Beast as Kiija affectionately calls it, is the massive hunk of a car that totes her and Alani to school and work, and on this day to the nearest Barnes and Noble bookstore in the comfort of ninety degree weather in the car and below zero outside of it. 

"B-b-rr-rrr… W-why d-did YOU p-park SO FAR a-w-way?!" Alani chatters loudly, briskly trotting to keep up with Kiija. 

    "C'mon Alani! It isn't that cold out here! Besides, it is four days till Christmas and you know what a madhouse this can get to be. You weren't complaining when I asked you if you wanted to go," Kiija teases, starting to quicken her step seeking the comfort of warmth yet again. Kiija did not want to admit to her best friend that her ears felt like they were about to fall off, she would never hear the end off it. As she set one foot in front of the other on the snow packed parking lot, she couldn't help but musing on the way the snow felt crushing beneath her boots. 'The white sands of the Rockies!' she smiles at that thought, as she skips up the sidewalk and swings the large oaken doors open for her friend.

    "It's about time we reached the doors! If we had not parked out in Bum Freakin' Egypt I wouldn't be a Kid-cicle right about now!" Alani whines. She scuttles her way up to the sidewalk, readying her worst scowl for her friend when she looks up to a watch-watching Kiija whistling a nameless tune. 

    "Well, Kid-cicle, you gonna get inside or am I heating the world?" Kiija states sternly, while giving Alani a bemused look. Kiija watches the vein pop out of Alani's forehead as she stomps her way into the store. Kiija follows suit, stomps in after Alani to run face first into the second set of doors that block entrance to the bookstore. 

    "Yeeeooouuch!"

    "Hmph! You shouldn't have been copying me like that… Hasn't anyone ever told you to LOOK where you are going Dummy?" says Alani nonchalantly as she frees her head from her favorite wool cap. Dark, thick locks cascade down her back; she shakes them out watching Kiija intently, trying to peel her face from the door. "I'm not getting any younger you know!" she states impatiently, crossing her arms and tapping her foot on the floor. She notices Kiija is finally free from the door and is not very elated with her.

    Kiija stomps over to her friend with a fire in her eyes and stands on her tiptoes to slightly tower over the taller girl growling, "You didn't have to slam the door in my face!" Kiija looking down on her friend notices it, around her neck, the ring that binds them to each other. The flame disappears from her eyes and they start to dance gleefully.

    "Pervert!" Alani squeals quickly turning from her friend's gaze down her blouse.

    A fierce blush comes to Kiija face as she notices all the other patrons in the bookstore glaring at the two girls. "Ehhh… I wasn't looking at those! I swear!" she states throwing her gloved hands in the air as I sign of surrender. She hopes she sad it loud enough for most of the looky-loos to hear. "I was staring at the ring; you have been wearing it again?" Kiija questions her friend sincerely.

    Alani turns back to her friend that was now slinking down the closest isle to rid herself of some of the stares, she quickly follows. "I decided since I cannot wear it on my finger that I could wear it on a chain and take it off only when I showered. It means too much to me to keep it locked up in a jewelry chest for eternity," she says watching the shorter girl snatch the beanie off her head and quickly removing her gloves revealing the same exact ring that was attached around her neck. It was a simple thing, a small gold-painted tin ring you could buy out of a machine for twenty-five cents, with an intricate Celtic design criss-crossing its outer surface. It made her friend's hand look so beautiful, slender and simple. Kiija always had beautiful, albeit dangerous, nails; long and sharp like those of a cat. Her nails never grew that well, she always had to get acrylics to have her nails look as good as Kiija's. 

    "I never took this thing off after you fixed it for me. I wear it to show how much you mean to me," Kiija says, knocking Alani back to the present. Alani's head shot up to her friend's face. 'Those eyes…' she thought, as she stared into the dark irises, they were almost black to her at the moment but she watched as they slowly changed their color back to a bright hazel-green. 'How does she do that?' Alani fumes slightly in the back of her mind, comparing her looks to that of her friend's.

    Kiija pushes her devil's locks away from her face, and fixes the minimal amount of baby hairs at the front of her forehead that gave her a naughty girl-next-door look. She had to curse herself for keeping her hair short in this cold weather, 'A Bob cut and winter do not mix,' she kept trying to tell herself before winter hit when she was pondering the idea of lopping off her long amber locks. She over did it though at the salon, having her hair cut to just above the top of her neck angling downward to cover her ears and leaving two sections in the front bleached blond and shoulder length, her Devil's locks. The only things that made her stand out at school, she mused twisting one in her fingers.

    Alani had become bored with her friend's dazed primping and wandered off down the isle searching something that caught her eye… "Oooohhh! I think I will read this one!" she states wistfully as she pulls it off the shelf and proudly presents it to her friend who had just shaken herself out of reverie. 

    Kiija eyes the book, large hard cover displaying a wizard and a dragon in a battle to the death it would seem. 'Another one of her _'Dungeons and Dragons' books,' Kiija thinks to herself while saying, "That should keep you busy till Reina gets off work at least… You know, that book should keep you busy for the rest of your life with as slow as you read."_

    "I wouldn't be talking if I was you, Grandma Driver. When is Reina going to be off work anyways?" Alani states coolly as she flips through the first few pages of the large book she was cradling in her arms. 

    Kiija sighs in resignation, "She should be off earlier tonight, around 9 or so. She is the Assistant Manager and they are closing at 8 o'clock tonight, she'll have to straighten and close up shop. That will take another hour, so 9 o'clock is what I am figuring." Alani nods, uninterested in the answer to her query. 

    "You gonna start reading 'War and Peace' now or will you go roaming with me for a while?" Kiija questions, motioning towards Alani's find, "We can roam through the CDs and magazines for a while then stash ourselves away somewhere until she is ready." Kiija, pulling at one of her nails, looks up to a less-than-trilled Alani staring back at her.

    "We've got another four or five hours in here?" Alani questions, slamming her book shut and setting it back on the shelf, "I know you won't stop pestering me until you get your way and drug me around the store fifteen times… So, let's go."

    The duo spent the first few hours testing and dancing to CDs, giggling and blushing while browsing the Sexuality section, before settling into the New Age section to study Witchcraft. "Loki was the Nordic god of mischief. Commonly referred to as the Trickster, he has been the blame of many personal and global problems…" Alani reads aloud. Kiija looks to her friend to see her almost in a hypnotic trance, "Don't even think about…" Kiija starts, before she finishes the statement Alani chimes in, "We should call upon him!!" Alani's eyes sparkling with mischief, "He might spice up our lives! C'mon Kiija!! You really think he would answer us anyways?"

    "No! No way!! The last time you tried to call a God the tire fell off your Bug, or don't you remember?" Kiija states condescendingly, "If you want to call him, go right ahead. But I am not going to be the patsy that bails you out this time!"

    "Phooey! You are no fun…" Alani whines, "I am going to call him and he'll make my life fun, watch!" Alani sticks her tongue out at her friend and wanders off with them book mumbling incoherently.

    "She always wants more excitement. I don't know why that girl never listens to me about these things," Kiija mumbles to herself, "Yeah she has the power to call upon Gods, but she never treats them with respect and she gets hurt because of it." Kiija sighs and wanders back over to grab an Anne Rice novel to curl up with for the next few hours. "Hmph! She's going to try to call Loki, hopefully he isn't listening…" Kiija thinks as she wanders over to a large beanbag chair in the now vacant Kid's Section to fall in love with Lestat all over again.

                                                            *      *      *      *      *

    Alani, still upset at Kiija for ruining any fun she might have with her, skips through the store still holding the book with her finger saving Loki's page. She keeps whispering a little chant to herself mindlessly. Skipping around a corner too quick, she slams into a body with long, braided, blond hair.

    "Yeaaaaaa!" screams a familiar voice, as she is falling face first to the floor, "Grrrrrrr… Who did that?!" The thin body pushes herself up from the floor and dramatically straightens her baggy, green shirt, turning swiftly around to confront her attacker.

    "Alani!! What are you doing?" Reina growls at the younger woman, expecting an amazing excuse.

    "Heheh… Ummmm… " Alani stutters hiding the book behind her back, "Sorry Reina. I wasn't watching where I was going…" If Reina even suspected her of calling another God she would have her hide tanned.

    "What book are you reading? Looks like something important. Especially if you are going to hide it from me," Reina questions, holding out her expecting hand. Reina can always tell when Alani is hiding something from her, it is almost literally written on the young girl's face.

    "It isn't anyth-…" Alani is cut off too quick.

    "I don't care! I want to see it and if you lose the page that your finger is keeping, you'll be sorry," Reina growls, getting angrier by the second. She isn't well adapted to having someone attack her then hide something from her.

    Alani hands the book to the elder female, keeping her eyes at the floor from guilt. "Loki, huh? You better hope the chill I just felt came from the air conditioners and not from you calling him out. He isn't only the God of Mischief but the God of Evil as well," Reina threatens, as Alani's eyes widen and she goes stiff all over. Reina sighs, "If you don't stop doing this you are going to get in serious trouble that we won't be able to get you out of." Alani relaxes a little at the reprimanding. "Now, go find a good FICTION novel to read. I will be done in about a half an hour or so. Then we'll discuss what you have been doing and see if Hecate will protect you," Reina says, slightly annoyed with the whole situation. 

    "Ok, I hope she will!" Alani says excitedly as she realizes she won't be yelled at for her indiscretions this time. She starts to bounce away, heading for the Fantasy book she was so eager to read earlier.

    "With the way you treated her the last time I am not so sure she will, your last little titter to her cost you the tire on your Bug, or did you forget already?" Reina yelled after her. Alani could only roll her eyes at this, 'Would they ever let me live that down?' she thought.

    Alani reaches her destination, snatches the book off the shelf, and starts skipping back to the Kid's section where she knows Kiija is hiding out. As she is passing the New Age section she notices a red light coming from one side of the shelf. She backtracks to the isle but the red light has faded. 'What the heck was that I wonder?" she questions aloud, wandering down the isle. She doesn't see anything odd until she gets to the end and notices an old book with beautiful gold-leafed lettering, _"The Universe of the Four Gods"_. 

    "That sounds oddly familiar, and why did such an old book appear in a trendy place like this?" Alani mumbles to herself, pulling the book off the shelf and flipping through its pages to find nothing. No writing, no text, nothing. She was getting the ominous feeling her life was going to change forever, and she wasn't going to be alone when it did change.

                                                            *      *      *      *      *

    "Blond hair and blue eyes. Hmph. Sounds like another antagonist I know. At least Lestat has a sense of humor, I wish I could try to bring out Nagako's sense of humor. He has to have one somewhere, whether it is demented or not!"

"Be careful what you wish for," Alani says to Kiija as she hurries around the corner into the Kid's section possessively clutching an old book, "I know the name sounded familiar. And now I think I know why. Look at what I found." Alani hands the book to Kiija and wishing she had a camera for the expression on her face as she read the title.

    "The Universe of the Four Gods??! Where did you find this?" Kiija says completely taken aback that there is an actual book to match her favorite anime series.

    "Nagako? He was the bad guy wasn't he? Umph!" Alani says, while plopping down next to Kiija, "I found it in the New Age section." 

"New Age? I could see History, or Fantasy, but New Age?" Kiija brings her head up to eye Alani curiously, "Actually, Tenkou is the true bad guy… How did you remember that anyways?" 

"You have been pouring over it for months, now that it is over and I have had time to let all your rambling about it sink in I remember some of what you have told me about it, when I heard you refer to Lestat and Nagako it clicked for me on the title of the book," Alani watches Kiija carefully finger the gold-leafing on the front of the book before opening the cover.

    "You are gonna be disappointed though. When I checked, there was no…" Alani says before hissing in disbelief, "There were no words there before!!!" Kiija flips quickly through the rest of the book to show that there are words written through out the book, "I see words. You must have been seeing things, some sort of subconscious with what I have told you. See, in the anime, the book gets written has they read it kind of like _"The Neverending Story"_."

    Before Alani could tell Kiija about the red light and the apprehension she felt Kiija began to read, "This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true after she came to possess the seven stars of Suzaku, and many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell, the one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish just like the girl in the story, because the story begins and become real the moment the first page is turned…"

    "Suzaku is the God right?" Alani questions, as Kiija is reaching to turn the first page.

    "Yes," Kiija smiles at her friend, cocking an eyebrow, while pulling the page up to turn it over, "The Phoenix." Alani watches the page turn to see that there are no words on the next page and she can feel the warm, red light engulf them.

_Ok, there is Chapter 1! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review so that I know to put Chapter 2 up. It is written and waiting ^__^_


	2. Beginning the Game

_      **Note: I have condensed some of the chapters! I have a feeling this is going to be a very long story and I would rather have long chapters than 70 chapters! This is the old chapter four and chapter five. **_

****

_      (The rest of the stuff below is the same disclaimers from Chapter 2, so continue on to the story if you want! ^__~)_

_As usual, I did not create FY, Watase Yuu did. I did however create Kiija, Alani, and Reina. As a matter of fact, they are real people and you cannot steal us! You may be allowed to borrow us for certain things (twisted ideas must be reviewed by the group before using us for your demented whims).  . Yes this means you! _

_      Reviews and intelligent critiques are always welcome. Flames will be used to warm my hands on those particularly cold, lonely nights. *sniff* The more reviews I get the quicker a chapter will get posted, especially if it is completely written already. ^___^_

_                                          Arigatou!_

**_Kowakuteki Gokko (Alluring Game) – Chapter 2_**

**_Beginning the Game_**

                  'So warm, I feel so warm," Kiija thinks as if she were dreaming. She rolls over uncomfortably and takes a deep breath. 'Sand? Why am I breathing in sand?' she thinks as an arm reaches over her torso and pulls her closer.

    "Devon, don't leave me…" Alani whines, moving her hand up and down Kiija's chest stopping at her breasts, feeling them up, "Devon? Where did you get such large breasts?"

    Kiija sits straight up, turning blue in the face, throwing her friend's arm back to her side, "Ninny! I AM NOT YOUR LAME EXCUSE FOR A BOYFRIEND!! Get up! How can you actually SLEEP at a time like this?!!" Kiija looks at her surroundings, realizing where she is, she sweatdrops. "Where ever this place is in the world it could easily pass for a set for Dune. There really seems to be nothing out here for miles," Kiija sighs, noticing the few trees and rock outcroppings that dot the sandy landscape.

    "Kiija, why are we in the desert?" Alani questions dreamily, realizing what she just said, she sits straight up blinking. "Desert? Why are we in a desert?!" Alani says almost screaming. She pinches herself then pinches Kiija who is still examining their surroundings.

    "Itai!" Kiija glares at Alani, rubbing her arm where her friend assaulted her.

    "I know I am here and you are here, but where is here?" Alani questions Kiija, a little calmer than before.

    "We are in the book," Kiija states coolly, standing up and brushing off her Carpenter khakis and white, mid-length sleeved shirt. "Looks like these will come in handy, these pants were never warm enough in the winter," Kiija states matter-of-factly, looking over at a wide-eyed, face-vaulted Alani.

    "Y-You l-look unreal," Alani said getting evermore excited, "and what do you mean we're in the book? If you had listened to me before just opening the book and reading it, we wouldn't be here!" 

    Kiija was just staring at the friend before her who had an exact likeness to Nuriko, without the accenting mole. 'We're animated too? This is just unbelievable,' Kiija was thinking to herself analyzing Alani's features. 

"No, I don't think SO! If SOMEONE hadn't been calling upon a God, let alone the God of Mischief, we wouldn't be here right now. Besides, I couldn't even dream it was the real _'Universe of the Four Gods'_. I wanted to read it to you because I thought you would like the story." Kiija says reaching into her back pocket to pull out the compact mirror that she decided to bring with her. She never carries a mirror with her but something had possessed her this night to take it. She slowly brings the mirror up to her face, curiosity getting the better of her, she gasps at what she sees. All of her features are softened, her eyes are bigger, and the colors in her hair are sharper. "Wow!" she gasps, as her impatient friend snatches the mirror out of her hands.

    "So it's all my fault as usual huh?" Alani sneers at Kiija, bringing the mirror up to her face.

    "Well, this didn't happen just out of coincidence!" Kiija yells turning from her friend and crossing her arms, contemplating how close this little trip would get to the original story. Kiija turns quick at the sound of a gasp and sees her compact mirror dropping to ground shattering in thousands of pieces.

    "Why do I look like a CARTOON? If it were my fault why would I look like one of the characters from YOUR anime? Huh?" Alani says furiously, stalking up to her friend, "I am not the only one here am I?" Kiija's eyes shift away from Alani's intense stare, commenting in a low voice, "You look like Nuriko, and I don't know why we are here. I am sorry for blaming you." Alani sighs, turning around to survey the scene, deep in thought, "How do we get out of here?"

    Kiija looks up from her guilty stare at the dead ground beneath her feet, eyes lightening a bit, "That would depend on if whoever brought us here wants us to reenact the 'Mysterious Play'. If that is the case then we will soon run into some Slave Traders, Tamahome, and one of us will be returning to our own world."

    "Mysterious Play?" Alani questions, facing her friend yet again after satisfying her curiosity of the land, "And who are Nuriko and Tamahome again? And what do you mean by Slave Traders?"

    "Mysterious Play is the English name for the Anime series, Fushigi Yuugi, Tamahome is the hero, the one Miaka, the heroine, falls in love with. Nuriko is, if the time line is right, trying to get the Emperor of Konan, Hotohori's, attention. Nuriko is the cross-dresser I was telling you about." Kiija looks to her friend who is still looking around, looking more hopeless by the minute, "And Slave Traders is exactly what I mean, they kidnap girls and… Ahhhh!!!" 

    Alani shoots a glance back to her friend, who was being accosted by two very ugly, burly, Chinese men. Alani's heart was racing now, and she was frozen in place watching Kiija get manhandled.

    "Look at the sweet one we got here, she should bring us a lot of money on the market, eh?" says the Slave Trader holding Kiija, looking her over again. "Yeah, she'll bring us a good price, her friend won't get us as much though, she looks like many of the local girls," the other Slave Trader replies as he fast approaches Alani.

    Kiija rolls her eyes wishing she hadn't been right about the timeline. Fearing for her friend's safety she starts to yell, "Alani turn around and run NOW! Don't look back! GO NOW!!" Alani, hearing her friend's words, looks directly into her face, 'Are her eyes turning green?' she thinks to herself and upon seeing her friend's devilish grin and the impending doom for herself, as the other slave trader closes in, she turns and runs as fast as her legs can carry her.

    Kiija seeing Alani's hair in the breeze, the other Slave Trader in slow pursuit, and another figure off in the direction she was running, relaxes and says coldly, "You think you'll be able to keep me long enough to sell me? I don't think so."

    "Why do you say that? I have you now don't I? And we'll have your friend too." the Slave Trader's breath was hot as he said this, licking her ear lobe afterward.

    "Hentai!" Kiija screams at the top of her lungs. Kiija takes a deep breath trying to regain her composure. "I know how this altercation ends," Kiija says growling. 

"Oh yeah? So, how does it end pretty thing? Let me guess, my friend catches your friend and we make a lot off selling you two on the market. Heheh," the Slave Trader hissed into her ear, licking her neck this time. "No, I kick your ass!" Kiija roars, having been tortured enough by this pig of a man; she stomps on the Slave Trader's foot. He shrieks in pain, letting her go. She wastes no time in teaching him a lesson, taking a short step forward and thrusting a left elbow into his face, spinning around the other direction to give him a right uppercut, laying him out cold on the dusty ground.

    "That should teach you to sneak up on a girl raised on the bad side of town," Kiija sneers, strolling over to him, kicking sand in his face then spitting on him, "Bakayarou, let's see how many less teeth you have tomorrow." Kiija turns around to see the second Slave Trader heading back in her direction at a high rate of speed, 'He doesn't look happy either, I wonder if he notices the others on his tail?' Kiija thinks as she readies herself for another battle.

                                                            *      *      *      *      *

    Alani couldn't stop running; she could almost feel the breath of the other Slave Trader on her neck. Looking back quickly when she heard a scream from her friend, she didn't notice the figure heading quickly in her direction.

    'Hey! Slow down!" she could here a voice yelling at her. As she finally focuses back in the direction she is running, she barely has time to stop herself before slamming head first into a boy about her age with blue hair.

    Bracing himself for an impact, Tamahome plants his feet firmly as the girl before him comes screeching to a halt, only inches from him. "What are you tryin' to do?? Run someone over?" Tamahome says in his best smart-aleck voice. He notices the strained look and tear-filled eyes of the girl. Before he can say anything else she starts panicking, "Please!" grabbing onto his shirt, trying to catch her breath and scream at the same time, "Help my friend! She's been caught by Slave Traders!" Alani points in the direction she was just running from, she looks back to notice the Slave Trader that was following her has started back towards Kiija.

    Tamahome's eyes widen at the thought of Slave Traders in this section of Konan. He notices a small group in the distance the girl is pointing to and starts to run, yelling back at the girl, "C'mon I will help your friend."  'It will cost you a pretty penny though…' Tamahome smirks to himself as he heads toward the group of people in the distance.

    After a short time running, Tamahome notices dust being kicked up from the group furthest away. 'Something is wrong,' he thinks, as he picks up his pace. 

    Alani also notices the dust cloud, fearing for Kiija's well being she closes her eyes and puts all her energy into running, passing up Tamahome in the process. As she gets closer to her friend, she can see the other Slave Trader approaching her and the Slave Trader that was holding Kiija before laying flat on the ground behind her. Alani slows up her pace, sensing now that Kiija isn't in any terrible danger. 

Tamahome slows up as well surveying the scene before him, still keeping a good pace going if anything went wrong. 'Strange clothing? And one can fight by the looks of it… This should be interesting, I may not make any money, but I want to see this!' Tamahome thinks to himself as he watches the shorthaired girl get into a fighting stance.

    "What did you do to my friend?" the Slave Trader fumes, approaching the strange girl, "Whatever you did to him you ain't gonna do to me!" The Slave Trader races towards Kiija furious and determined.

    "Heh! I laid him up what does it look like?" Kiija says, taunting the other Slave Trader, noticing Alani and Tamahome approaching as well. Kiija squints to get a better look of Tamahome. 'Tamahome is kinda cute when you see him in person,' Kiija thinks as the Slave Trader lunges for her. She grabs his arm and hip tosses him next to his passed out friend. She waits crouching like a cat about to jump her prey as the Slave Trader slowly gets to his feet she lunges with her fist cocked and strikes as he is turning around to face her. The Slave Traders eyes start swirling and he falls over to lie next to his friend who is starting to come to. "What a bunch of wimps these guys are!" Kiija states, triumphantly.

    "Beautiful left hook if I do say so myself!" says Tamahome, clapping, he breaks her concentration on the Slave Traders. Kiija whirls around with a look of death on her face, glaring at Tamahome realizing who he is and quickly changing her mood. Alani runs toward her crying, "You idiot! I thought they hurt you!" Alani latches on to Kiija's neck, practically strangling her.

    "Alani! I am fine! Now let go!" Kiija says strained, Alani unhooks herself from her friend's neck. Alani turns to Tamahome, "I am sorry I had you run all this way to help us."

    "It isn't a problem, I was heading this way anyways. Besides, it was an interesting fight, why didn't you do that sooner?" Tamahome questions Kiija.

    "I had to make sure you got here," Kiija says to him, "I don't think one of us will be here much longer." Not a second after Kiija says that, the red light returns under her feet. "Heh, here's my ride home," Kiija says and looks into Alani's disbelieving face, and Tamahome's shocked expression, "Alani! Listen well, the phrase for today is 'Suzaku no Miko'." Kiija starts to fade into the red light, Alani runs toward her reaching into nothing but still seeing her friend disappear before her eyes, "Don't leave me here! I don't know what Suzaku no Miko means! Don't leave me Kiija!!" Alani still trying to hold on to her only friend in this world, Kiija looks to Tamahome and winks at him, "Take care of Alani for me, Tamahome." And she disappears with only the sand that was left beneath her feet.

                                                            *      *      *      *      *

    Kiija is conscious this time through the tunnel of red light, she can feel the last words Alani said echoing and ripping through her heart, 'Don't leave me here!' 

'I couldn't help it Suzaku no Miko, we are playing a dangerous game and I can't be there when you find yourself. I love you, Alani,' Kiija thinks as she closes her eyes to finish her trip in a deep sleep.

                                    *              *              *              *              *

    Kiija awakes to the last feelings of warmth from her travel leaving her body into the cold air surrounding her. She doesn't dare open her eyes, just to see if what she knows to be true is just a cruel joke and she is somewhere else in Ancient China. She smells the air around her, 'Dirty, mud-trampled carpet, and what is that under my hip?' She opens her eyes and sits straight up in excitement that she is back in the bookstore. *Thwack!* Kiija smashes her head into the top of the table that seemed rather short for any adult. She knows now that she is back in the Kid's section she was hiding in before her adventure began. She shimmies her body carefully from underneath the mini table to find that her pants were sticking to the floor!

    "EEEWWW!" Kiija shrieks, pulling her pants from the slobbered on, broken piece of candy cane. "Yui comes back in the Library unhurt yet I come back under a table AND stuck to the floor!" Kiija growls. Almost forgetting Alani's predicament, she looks over to the beanbags they were originally sitting on to see the book faintly glowing red.

    Kiija frowns, "Alani," she whispers to herself, despairingly. "REINA!!!" she yells out, "I am not going to start reading this book again unless someone else is there to witness it." Kiija runs out of the Kid's section to retrieve Reina.

*  *      *      *      *

    Kiija finds Reina in the back office counting up registers, "Reina! You will never believe what is going on!" 

    "You made me lose count!" Reina squeals, looking up at Kiija with a less-than-happy glare, "What happened to you?? You get in a fight with Alani or what?" Reina could only describe Kiija looking as though she had been through a brawl of some sort. Her hair was disheveled, along with her clothes, which also bore dust everywhere, even on her face. The left side of Kiija's neck is sporting a dark smudge, almost as if something had been wet there and the dirt bonded to it. Reina put the drawer she was counting aside to check Kiija for any other marks, rubbing her fingers lightly on the large mark on Kiija's neck to be sure it wasn't a bruise.

    "Will you stop inspecting me? I am fine! Alani is the one who's in trouble!" Kiija demands, as she grabs Reina's hand and begins to drag her back to the Kid's section. Reina's eyes widen as she is jerked from her cozy office back into the expanse of the store.

*  *      *      *      *

    "You can let go of me NOW!!" Reina shrieks, still being dragged through the store over to her cohorts' usual hiding place. "I will follow you, I swear," Reina says, shaking herself free from Kiija's death grip on her wrist, causing Kiija to spin around wildly.

    "We have to hurry, time passes a lot faster where she is," Kiija pleads, turning back to her destination that was so close now. Her instincts shot into high gear knowing her friend was in danger. Looking back to Reina who was wide-eyed, with a look of utter confusion on her face Kiija says patiently, "I will be able to better explain what is going on when we get into the Kid's section."

    Kiija strides under the arched entryway of the Kid's section, picking up the book, turning back to Reina who has just passed the threshold of the archway, "Do you remember the anime _'Mysterious Play'_?" 

    "Yea! The girls get sucked into the Four Gods book or something like that and end up in China. Why the hell are you bringing up an anime series when Alani is in trouble and why are you saying that she is someplace where time goes faster?" Reina questions, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

    Kiija holds the book out to Reina, "Have you ever seen this book in the New Age section before?" Reina looks at the aged novel, "No I have never seen anything this old in here," she reaches for the book, delicately palming the rotting binding. 

"What is the title of the book, read it to me," Kiija says turning her back from Reina, a single tear sliding down her cheek from the utter feeling of despair that grips at her heart.

    "Why are you being so melodramatic? The title says," Kiija hears Reina gasp as if someone was choking her, "The Universe of the Four Gods. Where did this book come from?? And are you telling me that she is in the book?!"

    "We were both in the book, I was the one to come back. The story played out basically the same as the anime and it frightens me," Kiija states in an eerie monotone, "I wasn't going to read anymore of the story until I got you so that you can witness it. I didn't want to be alone with this at the moment…" Kiija's eyes start to well up with tears from the fear and anguish she is feeling for her friend who is lost in a world where she knows no one or nothing. 

    "Are you saying that by some strange chance you and Alani are playing out the anime? How did this happen?" Reina says thoughtfully. Then a light hits her eyes, "I do remember running into her, she was mumbling something and had a book about Loki in her hands. She probably called upon him and he decided that he would let her have some fun…"

    "That is what I thought too, but it is MY anime, she has only heard me speak of it… I am ruling it out at the moment. We just need to find a way to get her out of there, " Kiija sighs, desolation running through her voice. "Right now we need to follow her through her trials, time is wasting. Like I said before, time there passes much faster than it does here, just like reading a book," Kiija states, plopping herself down on her comfy beanbag reaching a hand out toward Reina, gesturing for the book. 

    Reina sighs, handing the book over to Kiija, "Maybe we can call upon Hecate. Did you bring the stuff for the ritual tonight?" Kiija wedges the keys to her car out of her pocket tossing them to Reina, "My backpack is in the trunk, be careful it is heavy. I truly have everything in there but the Kitchen sink… I found a really handy spell to increase the capacity of bags for carrying… It is like a black hole now…"

    "What did you pack for this trip?" Reina says, eyeing her charge with astonishment.

    "Let's see," Kiija says, beginning to flip through the pages of the book noticing that the only pages with writing are the first few, "A change of clothing for a week, some snacks, my makeup, my potion bag, my CDs and CD Player, batteries to keep it constantly running for a week, speakers for it, and our robes and stuff like that… I am sure there is some stuff in there I forgot but it would all be small. Please bring the whole thing in… I made need it."

    Reina didn't register the last part of Kiija's sentence as she sets off toward the door. Kiija just sighs and focuses her attention toward the book, skimming to where she left Alani. 'The girl's friend disappeared in the red light, leaving the girl clutching the ground, distraught…'

*  *      *      *      *

    "Why now!" Alani screams, as the recovering Slave Trader witnesses the whole scene. Terrified, he high-tails it out of their with his buddy in tow, leaving Alani and Tamahome alone with their thoughts.

"Kiiiiijaaaaa!! You CAN'T leave me!!" Tamahome hears the girl screaming, he is still face-vaulting from seeing the fighter disappear into a red light. 'A red light… Suzaku? No, it can't be…" Tamahome thinks as he puts his jaw back into place, 'The fighter did mention… Suzaku no Miko? This girl? It can't be…'

    "I can't believe what I just saw… She can't be her…" Tamahome whispers just loud enough for Alani to hear.

    Alani, kneeling in the place her best friend was last standing, grieving over losing her, hears Tamahome's voice, scaring her out of the thoughts about killing Kiija when she got home for leaving her. Alani looks over to him and can see he is deep in thought, as if a battle were raging in his mind, with a kanji character shining brightly on his forehead, 'What does that symbol mean? Why can't I understand what that symbol means? I can't read it… I know he speaks in a different language but I can understand him clearly… Why am I stuck here? Why did Kiija leave?' Alani's mind races, tears still streaming down her face, Tamahome turns around without another word and starts walking away as if nothing happened. She stands to face him, eyes losing their sparkle.

    "You're leaving me now as well?" Alani states darkly, eyes shadowed, watching Tamahome's retreating figure.

    "You're not real," Tamahome states coldly, keeping a steady pace away from the heartbroken girl without even a glance back. 'I can't believe you're real…' Tamahome thinks, a little part of him nagging at him to comfort and help the girl.

    Alani's knees melt beneath her, eyes widening completely in awe at those three little words.

    'I'm not real?'

    The color in Alani's face fades, her heart sinks to her stomach, feeling as though it disintegrates all the way down.

    'How can he say that?'

    Alani drops on her knees to the ground, kicking a dust cloud into her already burning eyes.

    'Why did he say that?'

    Tears again stream down her face, as she tries to hold in her frustration and despair.

    "Am I having a nightmare?'

    The image replaying over and over in her mind of the only other familiar face she knew, walking away, leaving her alone. Saying those three words, until finally, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

*  *      *      *      *

    Pupils focusing on a distant tree, Tamahome can barely hear the girl's scream. His body reacts to it however, slowing its pace and crushing his heart. His head droops as he forces his body to pick up speed again; running from what he knows is his destiny.

*  *      *      *      *

    Alani, having finished her screaming fit, rolls to her side, curling up in a fetal position. She latches her arms around her legs, burying her face on her knees.

    "This is too horrible to be a nightmare even…" she whispers to herself, "I don't know where I am. I don't know what I am supposed to do. Should I follow him? No… He doesn't even think I exist, but I do!! I know I do!! Why was he so nice before? What did I do wrong?"

    'Kiija, what should I do now?' Alani thinks as she drifts deeper into her thoughts.

*  *      *      *      *

    *THUD!*

    The sound of her excessively stuffed backpack hitting the ground in front of her snaps Kiija out of the book to glare at a very frustrated Reina.

    "By the Goddess!! What in the BLUE HELL do you have in there?" Reina shrieks, untangling her sopping hair from its braid. Kiija noted that she must have fell into one of the snowdrifts. Reina's left side was completely wet with chunks of snow still clinging to her coat.

    "I am sorry you fell in the snow and I already told you it was heavy. You should have been more careful," Kiija says giving Reina a grave look. Reina sports a confused, hurt look as the left side of Kiija's face starts to turn red as though she were getting feverish. 

    "Are you ok?" Reina asks, reaching out to touch Kiija's forehead like a mother would. Kiija can feel the heat coming to her face and reaches up both hands to her face trying to absorb the heat in her hands. 

    "I-I don't know…" Kiija stutters, revisiting Alani's position in her mind. "Its Alani! Tamahome left her out in the desert by herself. I am not sure why he did, but it didn't happen like this in the anime…" She states, following Reina's movements to sit next to her on the beanbags, her face getting redder by the minute.

    "He left her?? He didn't even ask her if she needed help?? What kind of guy is he??" Reina growls, snatching the book out of Kiija's hands, resting it in her lap. Reina looks over to Kiija who still has her left hand to her cheek with a glazed look in her eyes.

    "She is getting sunburned… She is just lying to waste in the desert. We are connected some how but I am not sure how…" Kiija finally states, turning to Reina presenting her now reddened forearm, "If we are connected she should be able to hear me speak to her if I concentrate hard enough. Let me have the book back. I can focus more of my thoughts into the book." Reina hands the book back to Kiija, cocking her eyebrow on her inquiring face.

    Kiija begins to read again, "…the girl's hopes slowly fading away with her consciousness…"

*  *      *      *      *

    Alani's thoughts drifted more and more to the morbid side, as they tended to when she stuck herself in sticky situations. She feels her skin being ravaged by the early afternoon sun. It felt to her as though it had been hours since she curled up on the ground, resigning to her fate.

    'Is this what its like to die?' she thinks as the blackness begins to swallow her mind.

    ~IDIOT! Why didn't you follow Tamahome, Alani?~ a voice screams in her ear. Alani shoots back up into a sitting position, facing the direction Tamahome went.

    "Please place your tray in its full upright position…" Alani says still trying to regain her consciousness, her eyes shift back and forth over the landscape before her and behind her looking for the owner of the voice she heard.

    "Hellooo? Anybody there?" She says out loud, "Hmph! I could have sworn I heard Kiija yelling at me… As usual. GEEZ! Even on the brink of death she has the gall to yell at me!! I had to be dreaming… YEOUCH!" Alani, in her frenetic state, didn't realize how much of a burn she had gotten on her arm before she plopped herself back on the ground right on top of it.

    "GYAH! You idiot! You have a really bad sunburn on that side!" Kiija's disembodied voice screeches at Alani.

    Jolting completely into consciousness, fanning her arm that is a beautiful shade of crimson, "Kiija! Where the hell are you?" She takes a second to think, now lightly patting her burn, "How did you know I have a sunburn?"

    "I am reading the book you dummy. Not only that, I've got the burn too! Reina is getting me some snow to put on it at the moment because it is really nasty looking from my side! Now get your ass up and get moving, and get some water at the next town or you won't survive to see Christmas! Go the same direction Tamahome went, there is a town not too far," Kiija says, sounding a little less strained.

    "You're back in the store? How can you be talking to me? And why do you have the sunburn too?" Alani questions, getting up slowly to keep the direction Tamahome went insight, brushing some of the dust off her clothing along the way.

    "Yes, and I am talking to you through some sort of physical connection we have. Now I don't know how long I can keep this connection going. Just remember, when you get into town, you need to get the attention of the Emperor and remember the phrase 'Suzaku no Miko'…" Kiija's hurried voice resonates in Alani's ears.

    "And how am I supposed to get the attention of the Emperor? And what connection? AND WHAT DOES 'SUZAKU NO MIKO' MEAN?!" Alani screams as she can feel her friend's presence leaving her.

    "Fall at his feet ninny…" Kiija's voice is now barely a whisper in her mind. Alani waits for any other answers, another bout of fresh tears stinging her eyes when she feels that Kiija's voice would not be returning.

    Alani sucks in her breath and shuts her eyes tightly to fight back the frustration she feels flowing through her body. She sighs, blinking back the remains of her tears seeing the never-ending horizon in she witnessed Tamahome walk into. Alani sighs again before walking towards that same horizon.

_ Alright, there you have it! Chapter 2! The New Chapter 2! I need you guys to tell me if you like the longer chapters better  please give me your feedback on this!_

_      Ja!_


	3. Kitsune-san

_      **Note: I have condensed some of the chapters! I have a feeling this is going to be a very long story and I would rather have long chapters than 70 chapters! This is the old chapter four and chapter five. **_

****

_      (The rest of the stuff below is the same disclaimers from Chapter 2, so continue on to the story if you want! ^__~)_

_As usual, I did not create FY, Watase Yuu did. I did however create Kiija, Alani, and Reina. As a matter of fact, they are real people and you cannot steal us! You may be allowed to borrow us for certain things (twisted ideas must be reviewed by the group before using us for your demented whims).  . Yes this means you! _

_      Reviews and intelligent critiques are always welcome. Flames will be used to warm my hands on those particularly cold, lonely nights. *sniff* The more reviews I get the quicker a chapter will get posted, especially if it is completely written already. ^___^_

_                                          Arigatou!_

**_Kowakuteki Gokko (Alluring Game) – Chapter 3_**

**_Kitsune-san_**

                        "Rrrraaaahhhh!!! That is fricken' cold!" Kiija's scream echoes throughout the empty, darkened walls of the store. The snow pack Reina applies to the sunburn on Kiija's arm melts so quickly it is creating a large puddle on the carpet.

        "Oh… Damnit! They are going to kill me for this," Reina curses, spreading the puddle further into the carpet with her foot. 

        "At least she isn't getting burned on that side anymore," Kiija says presenting her other arm that was in the process of tanning nicely. 

        "What are we going to do?" Reina asks no one in particular, slowly moving what is left of the snow pack in a circular motion on Kiija's arm.

        "I am not sure. I don't know exactly why we were pulled into the book in the first place. We could try to put a protection spell on her. Do you think it would work 'cross dimensions?" Kiija replies, still cringing from the snow on her arm.

        "It would have to be one heck of a spell to reach across dimensions. We would have to call down Hecate and ask her very nicely to do it. She may not even be able to reach across dimensions and we should have a full coven to call her down in the first place. At this point, all we can do is wait to see if she can get herself out of this on her own. Did you ever think that maybe the whole reason why she was pulled into the book in the first place? Maybe she was pulled into the book to make her learn to do things on her own instead of having us save her all the time," Reina states, shaking the rest of the melted snow pack off her hand onto the soaking floor. 

        "Are you saying that she was pulled into that – that nightmare to be taught a lesson?" Kiija questions, upset at the insinuation.

        "Nightmare? I thought you liked the series?" Reina accuses Kiija.

        "I do Reina. That is because it has everything a story should have. Romance, Action, Adventure, Murder, Death, Mystery, Heartbreak, Danger…" Kiija says, all the hardships Miaka and Yui went through flashing through her mind, shaking her head back and forth. "This is too harsh to be a lesson of sorts," Kiija says in a chillingly monotone voice. She turns her attention back towards the book, praying for the best of luck for her friend. She can barely hear Reina's reply, "It taught the other two girls a lesson or two, didn't it?"

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

        "Does this wasteland go on forever?" Alani whines, still treading in the direction the young, blue-haired guy went. She had been walking for what seems like hours to her. She knows however, that her internal time clock is off because the Sun's position hasn't changed much since she began walking.

        'The sunburn is getting to me. I need some water soon if I am going to be able to go on," she thinks to herself as her knees buckle beneath her. She collapses back to the hard, dusty soil, landing on her side that was still reeling from the sunburn. 

        "Eeeyyaahh!" she shrieks, quickly flopping herself over onto her back, gasping for air. The pain stings so bad, Alani begins a new round of tears, resting her unburned forearm across her eyes to protect them from the Sun. She starts to growl through her tears at the pain radiating from her other arm and elbow, the rough bits of sand irritating and burying themselves further into her tortured skin. She feels immobilized by the pain in her arm. She knows she skinned it in her fall. All she can do now is cry dry tears, and whine in a high-pitched tone. Alani starts to fall back into unconsciousness, from the pain and dehydration.

        "Miss, are you hurt? Can you move?" a sweet, caring voice flows its way to her ears, a hand shaking the shoulder of her burned arm gently, causing it to hurt more. Alani cries out a little louder from the shaking. A gentle hand grabs the arm that is covering her face and moves it down to rest on her stomach, her eyes flutter open slightly to see a handsome face, muttering soft words from soft lips. The young man turns away from her to reach for something at his right side, as she is reaching up to touch his strong jaw line, he turns back towards her. She sees something she wasn't quite expecting from such a flawless face. She reaches up and runs her fingers lightly over the smooth skin of a massive scar blocking his left eye. He grabs her burned hand firmly in his masculine grasp, and turns his face fully to her with a look of disbelief and horror.

        "Nnyyooooooo!" Alani screams at the large bolt of pain shooting up her arm from his grip, as she bolts to a sitting position and slaps him hard across the unmarred side of his face. He loses grasp of her searing hand, reaching for the burning sensation now flushing his cheek. He looks down at the girl's hand he just had a hold of realizing why she had done what she did. He gently reached for her hand to inspect its burn, and she pulls it away from him quickly giving him a distrustful look.

        "I won't hurt you again, you took me by surprise and I just want to help you," the young man says to Alani, reaching his hand out to her. She examines his face for any reason to not trust him, his face was framed by a baby blue shade of hair pulled back into a ponytail with a very tall set of bangs sticking straight up and fanning downwards towards the right side of his face. He has beautiful smooth skin, lightly tanned from the sun, shapely eyebrows, and one beautiful reddish-brown eye, her eyes drifted back to the scar covering his left eye, starting at his temple and reaching its way over to the bridge of his nose. He gets very restless under her thorough gaze, he turns around again real quick and turns back to her sporting a mask.

        "Does this help, no da?" he asks her in a higher pitch voice, giving her a goofy smile, reaching his hand out to her again.

        "Why did you put the mask on?" Alani asks him, resting her hand in his, a jolt going through her body as she did so. 

        "Some people are afraid of my face, no da. You seemed to be having a bit of trouble with it so I put on this mask to cover it up, na no da!" he replies, smiling at her again, inspecting her hand and arm that had been severely burned. 

        "Where did you get the scar from?" she asks, feeling the softness of his hands lightly inspecting her skin.

        "We need to put something on that right now, no da! How did this sunburn get so bad?" he asks her, avoiding her own question. He gives her the sternest look he could give with the mask on. He turns from her and turns back handing her a canteen and holding a jar of some sort, "Here drink this water, you look terribly dehydrated, no da."

        Alani grabs the canteen from him greedily, chugging the whole canteen in 15 seconds flat, "Thank you so much!"

        "You shouldn't drink water that fast when you are dehydrated, no da," the young man says to her with an amazed look on his face. "I am going to put some of this balm on your hand and arm, no da. It should help with the pain and keep it from burning even more, no da!" he says, pulling the taut fabric off the top of the jar. He reaches his fingers into the jar retrieving a small green, gelatinous mass and lightly dabs it onto her burned hand, gently rubbing it in circles. 

        "What's your name? May I ask?" she inquires, looking down at her hand which is having sparks shoot up her body at his every touch, she can feel a flush coming to her face making her look toward the ground even more. 

        "My real name is Houjun, Ri Houjun, but my everyone just calls me Chichiri, no da! And what is your name, na no da?" Chichiri tells her, looking up at her face which she has focusing at the ground, blushing fiercely. He stares at the top of her head still mindlessly rubbing the balm into her sore hand. She looks up at him gaining some of her composure a ting of pain in her eyes. He notices for the first time that her eyes are an amazing shade of green, forest green. He loses himself, smiling goofily into her eyes.

        "Uhh… I think you need to put some more balm on your hand before you rub it in anymore," Alani tells him, motioning her eyes to her hand that had absorbed all of the balm Chichiri had just rubbed in. Her hand didn't hurt as much because of the balm, but the rubbing was starting to wear on her.

        "Hehe, sorry, no da," he laughs nervously reaching back into the jar for some more balm, getting a larger amount to start on her arm. He dabs the balm on her wrist and starts spreading it slowly up her arm, an uncomfortable silence coming between them.

        She relishes in his gentle rubbings of her arm, being slightly embarrassed at him staring at her like that, 'What was he thinking I wonder?' The tender flesh of her arm giving away more of her feelings as it prickled with goose bumps under his careful touch.

        'What was I thinking?' Chichiri thinks to himself, 'Why am I getting all giddy and boyish around her? I am a monk for goodness sake!' He continues to rub the balm in carefully making sure not to hurt her, noticing the goose bumps forming on her arm. He blushes a little behind the mask, 'Am I doing this to her?'

        "Oooooh! That feels so good!" Alani whispers mindlessly. Chichiri jumps at this, beginning to spread the balm in a little quicker, finishing up her arm. She notices his immediate haste, looking up at him to see that he is blushing a little behind his mask. He finishes her arm and quickly puts the fabric top back on the jar of balm.

        While still turned away from her he asks, "What is a girl like you wandering out here all alone, no da?" He hopes his voice isn't tinged with any of his feelings that he is trying to beat down into a recess of his mind. 

        Alani didn't want to be reminded of what had happened to her already, Kiija leaving, Tamahome leaving and her almost dying, twice. She begins to shudder trying to hold back the tears, "I-I am not from h-here. M-My friend was w-with me, t-then s-she returned to our own world. A-and this guy T-Tamah-home… I thought he would help me, but he left me too… I-I was going to let myself die, b-but then I heard my friend's voice and she told me to find Tamahome. And I started walking this direction, towards the town he is supposed to be in. He is supposed to help m-me..."

        As soon as he heard her shuddering, he turned around quickly and was trying to comfort the best he could. He threw his arm around her and held her while she cried and told him what had happened to her. This is familiar to him, comforting someone, not acting like a teenage boy because of a young girl. She leans into him grabbing a hold of his kesa resting her hand near his heartbeat. It calms her slowly, she looks up into his face, cheeks flushed, eyes wet, and a darling pout on her lips. He looks down at her, his heart starts to race and all he can do is fall into her eyes.

        "You know, that mask makes you look like you have the face of a fox," Alani states, sniffing and moving herself up from his warm chest. He snaps out of his drowning, he takes in all that she had told him. He notices for the first time that she has strange clothing on, her black shirt is kind of fluffy and looks really warm for her to be out here during the summer time, and he still has his arm around her shoulder, caressing it softly. He moves his hand away and looks her over again noting her tan colored, pants? 'Why is a girl wearing pants? And why didn't I notice this before? Could she be Suzaku no Miko?' he thinks to himself, looking back at her face that shows an expectant look.

        "Kitsune-san, Fox face. Yes I hear that a lot, no da. They are known as playful, if not mischievous spirits around here, na no da," he tells her, getting up from his sitting position to stretch. She latches onto his neck tightly, mumbling into his ear, "Please don't leave me I don't know anyone else in this world." Her face is buried into the crease in his neck, her warm breath rolling over his neck and shoulder like fog, she speaks again, "At least promise me you will get me to the next town?" She pulls her head away from his neck at this point to look him in the eyes, not letting go of his neck. The broken hearted look on her face, with tears blazing their tracks in the hot sun, he couldn't help but want to protect her, and to never leave her. He grabbed her wrists from the back of his neck and held her hands in front of him.

        "I promise I won't leave you until we get to the town, no da," he tells her, giving her a sincere smile, "Why don't we get you to that town so you can find Tamahome, na no da?"

        "Thank you so much Chichiri! I will try to find a way to pay you back for all you have done for me, I swear!" she squeals for joy, latching back onto his neck for a quick thank you hug, and bouncing off in the wrong direction.

        "Miss, it's this way, no da!" Chichiri says to her pointing in the opposite direction. She turns to face him and blushes a little at her mistake, he notices for the first time that one side of her face is also sunburned, he reaches is hand out to make sure he isn't seeing things and can feel the heat radiating off of it before even touching it, " Oh my! You got burned there as well, no da?" he picks his kasa reaching into it for the jar of balm as her eyes grow wide.

        "It's magic, no da," he tells her smiling, tossing her the jar of balm, "Catch, no da!"

        "What are you?" she asks, catching the jar easily, pulling the fabric off the top, taking enough for her face and tossing it back to him. He places the jar back into the kasa, and places the kasa on his head.

        "I am a monk, no da. Now we have to get going before the sun sets, no da!" he says unwrapping his kesa from his shoulder and throwing it to her, "Drape this over head so you don't get burned as much, no da!"

        "Thanks you again, Chichiri," she says smiling at him as he turns and starts to walk toward the town. She skips to catch up with him, his kesa draped over her head like a cloak.

        "I didn't catch your name before, no da," he asks her as they begin their trip.

        "I am Alani!" she says stopping to hold out her hand, he takes it and kisses the top lightly, sending shivers up her spine.

        "Nice to meet you Miss Alani, no da," he says, smiling at her again, turning to continue on their journey.

                                    *                      *                      *                      *                  *

      "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!" Kiija cackles, rolling on the floor holding her sides. "She's puttin' the moves on the Schmuck?!" Reina stares at Kiija as though a second head had just grown out of her body.

    "Is that a bad thing? He seems like a pretty nice guy," Reina inquires, poking Kiija with a ten-foot pole.

    Kiija stops laughing suddenly, staring at Reina with laughing eyes, "No, actually I rather consider Chichiri to be one of the most handsome and noble characters, but I like Tasuki as well. Tasuki calls Chichiri Schmuck quite a bit, and I have a wild hair up my butt at the moment to act like Tasuki! Do you mind?"

    "Tasuki?"

    "He's the girl-hating, absolutely lovable, bandit boy. You know, red hair, amber eyes, fangs…" Kiija sighs dreamily.

    'Oh boy! Her infatuations with animated characters,' Reina thinks to herself, 'Kiija hates real boys and she's only attracted to make-believe boys… I don't get it.' Rolling her eyes focusing her attentions back to the book, she begins to read aloud, "The girl and the monk traveled through the harsh desert towards her destination…"

                            *                      *                      *                      *                  *

    "So, what is your friend like, no da?" Chichiri asks, smiling at Alani with a smile that only his mask could give.

    "Oh, Kiija?" Alani says despairingly, wrapping Chichiri's kesa tighter about her body at the mentioning of her best friend's name. The best friend that had deserted her in this world, twice. Chichiri noticed her stiffening at the question, "If you would not like to talk about her you do not have to, no da." 

    "No, its not that I don't want to talk about her, I just can't help but feel a little mad at her at the moment. You know, leaving me here all alone in a strange world, twice," Alani says, trying to find something interesting to look at on the ground. It was harder than she realized with everything she spotted disappearing from site because of her walking right past it. 

    "Don't you think that maybe she wasn't meant to be here, no da?" Chichiri tries to console Alani with his question. 

    Alani loosens her grip on the kesa, "Well, yeah. But then, why would I be meant to stay here?" Alani stops mid-stride to confront the monk. Chichiri also stops to gaze at Alani's thoughtful expression, "Maybe it is your destiny, na no da." He gives her a reassuring smile and a quick wink (the best wink his mask could give) before turning back the direction they were originally heading. 

    'She has such beautiful, green eyes,' he thinks, motioning for her to join him again in their quest. She trots up along side him, thoughtful in her walking speed. She smiles internally at the thought that she has a destiny. She builds up enough energy and courage to push her anger for Kiija aside to enlighten Chichiri about her. 

    Alani takes a deep breath, "She is pig-headed, bull-headed, red-headed, narcissistic, egotistical, stubborn, mean and did I mention pig-headed?" Chichiri just watches in amazement as Alani vents her frustrations about her friend. "Kiija is the biggest pain in my ass!" Chichiri gives Alani an astonished look after hearing some of the words that come out of her mouth.

    Alani calms a little and sighs, "But she is also loyal, strong, a great listener, and probably the best friend in the world that anyone could have."

    "It sounds like you love her a lot, no da."

    "I do. She is just so over-protective of me sometimes. Granted, I give her many good reasons to be worried about me. As a matter of fact, the first time we actually met I was about to get the pounding of my life from someone other than my brother. I had a crush on a very cute, very popular, and very taken boy in the seventh grade. I was passing notes back and forth in Geography class with one of my other friends, when it slipped out of my hands, onto the floor, right in front of Mr. Gunds' feet. Needless to say, He read the note to the whole class, and one of the girls in that class was the friend of the girlfriend of the boy. So, not only was I embarrassed, I had put a giant red target on my back."

    "Target, no da?" Chichiri inquired. 

Alani gave him a serious nod continuing with her story, "About five minutes after school had let out, the girl from my class, the boy's girlfriend, and one of their mutual friends, a ninth grader that was twice my height cornered me and dragged me behind the school. 'Think you could have my boyfriend huh?' she snapped. God I hated her! Melanie Sparks, one of the most popular girls in school at the time."

"Anyways, the three taunted me for a little while, getting me to the point that I was bawling my eyes out. 'Are you scared now A-la-ni?' Melanie said, 'Go ahead Jen, beat the crap out of her. It'll teach her to want MY boyfriend.' Melanie slapped me across the face before the bigger girl, Jen, pinned me to the brick wall. Jen was pulling her arm back for the first punch, one that would have definitely knocked me out. The expression changed on her face, I was frozen by fear and couldn't take my eyes off of her. Then I hear something that seemed so far away, 'The girl only has a crush, leave her alone.' Jen turned around to only turn back around twice as fast slamming up against me in the wall. Jen started to crumble to the ground trying to use me to hold her up. Her nose had been broken and she placed her head up against my stomach causing the biggest blood stain I would ever see on any of my clothing. I look up past the girl bleeding on my shirt to see Kiija posed like this."

Alani stopped and positioned herself into a fighting stance, mimicking her friend, "She had the most wicked smirk on her face," trying to mimic the smirk as well. "The other two girls were so startled that they fled for the hills. They must not have thought their big ninth grade friend could be beat, especially by someone smaller than me. She was almost literally half Jen's height and weight and she was still smirking when Jen finally got to her feet and charged her. Kiija easily sidestepped her grabbing Jen's arm with her left hand and punching her in the kidney with her right a few times then whipping her back around in my direction, tripping her to the ground and stepping on her neck."

Alani began to walk again, her stride a little faster with the memories of the story pulsing through her veins, "It was the most awesome thing I had seen a girl do. I was completely in shock, I almost missed what Kiija had told Jen while she had her pinned, 'If you move I will put enough pressure on your throat to collapse it. You will not be able to breathe and you will die within minutes. Now, I suggest that the next time you decide to bully on someone half your size you come and do it to me. I can handle bullies like you.' Kiija then picked her heel that had been resting on the ground and twisted the ball of her foot into Jen's throat, 'Do you understand me?' she says. Jen answered a weak little, 'Yes!' and Kiija let her up off the ground and Jen fled back towards the front of the school. 'She is off to tell someone what happened if her friends haven't already. We have to go, quickly. Here, put this on.' Kiija says as threw me her jacket to cover up the blood that had started to crust on my shirt. Then we heard, 'Hey? What are you girls doing?!' It was a teacher, all I remember was the wind was blowing through my hair and the tears were cooling my burning face and we were in the woods in the ditch behind the school. I told Kiija that my house was the other way, she had told me hers was as well, but we had to go around the long way to get home so as to avoid the NARCs at school who were looking for a four and a half foot girl who beat up a six foot girl."

Alani laughs out aloud remembering the incident so clearly even though the incident happened five years ago, "I had never known a girl could be like Kiija. So strong and unwilling to let what anyone else thought about her stop her. Anyways, she drug me the long way around to my house, telling me along the way that she had heard the two girls planning to jump me after school and she just waited for the right moment to strike. She came in with me to help me explain to my mother why my shirt was covered with blood. Kiija was a little nervous meeting my parents at first, they are kinda eccentric. She became my mother's best friend in that moment. The next day she was caught and turned the story around to make the other girls look bad, she got into some trouble but she saved me and I couldn't thank her enough." 

"Kiija and I did have one class together though I never noticed her. You think I would since the class we had together was gym and she was very good at lot of physical things. From then on we hung out after school and she introduced me to a lot of different things that I never knew existed. And yeah I love her for it…" Alani's face drew up into a slight smile, remembering all the fun times they had together. Alani noticed they were not traveling alone now, they had merged with groups of pilgrims along a wide dusty road. As she looked to her right she could see the large city unfold beneath her gaze. She gasped at the size of it. She had looked upon her own city from time to time but never really took in how big it truly was, there wasn't a vast desert surrounding it, its colors pulling it apart from the landscape such as this. 

"What city is this?" Alani asks, tearing her eyes away from the city of richly colored clay roofs to acknowledge Chichiri. 

"This is the great city of Konan, home of the Emperor, no da,"  Chichiri tells her stopping his pace so she can inspect the city. 'She looks like an angel when she smiles' he thinks to himself studying her profile.

"Weeell, I guess it is time to go into the city!" Alani squeaks, as she starts to trounce down one of the many stairway entrances before Chichiri reaches out for her arm.

"I am sorry to have to do this to you. I have some other business to take care of not in this city , no da," Chichiri stutters, somewhat guiltily. "I wish I could stay with you but I do have some important matters to attend to, no da. And I believe you have some important business with the Emperor," he smiles weakly, his heart tugging at him to not leave her alone. He looks up to her somewhat saddened, resigned eyes, and he pulls out a leather pouch, grabs her hand and places the pouch in hers, "This is all I can do for you at the moment, no da. Get something to eat and drink. Cheer up, na no da! We will see each other sometime soon, no da."

Alani looks at the pouch and her eyes brighten at the sound of food, "I know you have to go, and you did only promise to get me to the city. I just want to know one thing, what is the best way to get to talk to the Emperor?" She looked down at his hand that was still cradling her own, feeling a little saddened by his touch leaving her. She knows he has to leave, but there was still so much she wanted to ask him and stuff that she wanted to tell him. She sighs again as he answers.

"Go to the palace in the middle of the city and ask for an audience with him. He has audiences daily, no da," He says still wanting to hold her hand. He waves a little goodbye to her, forcing a smile through his mask, " Goodbye for now, no da! And remember to keep your spirits up , na no da!"

"I owe you two now, Chichiri!" Alani says, turning to prance down the stone steps leading her even closer to her fate.

_ Ok now we move on to what would have been chapter six but is now chapter four! Have fun!!_

_                                          Ja!_


	4. Emperor’s Palanquin

_      Ok! Here is the first new chapter since sometime in November… And it is the first chapter I wrote for the new chapter lay out!! Don't be mad at me though! This one is the length of two of my old chapters..!! I swear! (a lot!) Anyways.. I am finally getting to some good parts and can't wait to continue this story!! I am so excited.. I have plotted on some main points and just have to write up to them ^__^  R & R and tell me how I did on this one..! _

_Thanks_

****

_      (The rest of the stuff below is the same disclaimers from Chapter 2, so continue on to the story if you want! ^__~)_

_As usual, I did not create FY, Watase Yuu did. I did however create Kiija, Alani, and Reina. As a matter of fact, they are real people and you cannot steal us! You may be allowed to borrow us for certain things (twisted ideas must be reviewed by the group before using us for your demented whims).  . Yes this means you! _

_      Reviews and intelligent critiques are always welcome. Flames will be used to warm my hands on those particularly cold, lonely nights. *sniff* The more reviews I get the quicker a chapter will get posted, especially if it is completely written already. ^___^_

_                                          Arigatou!_

**_Kowakuteki Gokko (Alluring Game) – Chapter 4_**

**_Emperor's Palanquin_**

"Hmph! Maybe the story will get on track now," Kiija says, snatching the book out of Reina's hands.

"Hey Miss Rudeness! You gonna ask for the book first?" Reina snaps, glaring at Kiija, her hands palming thin air.

"Oh… Can I have the book now? K! Thanks!" Kiija says distractedly, making herself comfortable in the bean bag chair and maneuvering the large book into the best possible position for reading. Reina growls at her charge, as she reels her arm back and slugs Kiija in the shoulder.

"Yes? You rang?"

"That was rude! I deserve an apology!" Reina shrieks, flustered at Kiija's complete unwillingness to acknowledge she did something wrong. Kiija places her finger in between the pages of the book and closes it. Looking up to her elder with a serious look on her face.

"I apologize for ripping the book from your hands without asking. I got carried away," Kiija says, opening the book again, her eyes searching for where she left off. Reina's face loses its flush and takes on a thoughtful pose, "What should Alani encounter now?"

Kiija sighs and looks back to Reina, "If this goes the way the anime has it, she should run into Tamahome and he SHOULD agree to help her. Of course that may not happen unless she does some groveling at this point. From there she should meet up with the Emperor. She shouldn't run into any problems, but with the way trouble is attracted to her, who knows?" Kiija shrugs, the worried tone in her voice not sitting well in Reina's conscious.

                                        *                      *                      *                      *

Alani trots down the stone stairway, letting Chichiri's kesa float behind her like a cape.

"Oh no! His kesa thing!" Alani gasps, whirling around and accidentally smacking someone as she did so.

"Sorry!" she says, running back up the steps, weaving in and out of bodies blocking her way. She reaches the top of the steps and scans the crowd.

"Chichiri!" Alani yells, waving the kesa above her head. Not being able to find him or getting a reply back, she brings her arm holding the kesa back down to her side. She couldn't find him anywhere in the crowd, if it had been thicker with people she could understand not being able to see him in the crowd. 

'How can I miss a cute guy with bangs taller than mine were in Junior High?' she thinks to herself. It was like he just disappeared. She wraps the kesa back around her body after she notices the stares and whispers the people on the dirt roadway were giving her. She sighs and begins back down the stone stairway.

'I hope I run into him again so I can return this… But, then if I am this Suzaku no Miko and it is as important to the Emperor as it seems to be to Kiija; I can have the Emperor send for him so I can give it back to him!' she smiles inwardly at that thought. She might be important enough to send for someone. To her the thought was only in fairy tales, being a princess or empress could never be real. It was only real in storybooks to her.

She bounces off the last stone step, slowly treading down the busy side street ever closer to the bustling marketplace. She starts to take notice of the people and things around her. She gazes around at all the Chinese faces and beautifully hand-painted signs that she could only dream of understanding. The reality of her situation was hitting her head on; she definitely wasn't anywhere near home.

She starts to feel weak and a little dizzy, her breaths coming out in short gasps. She cuts away from the crowd, ducking down an alleyway between two buildings. Leaning against one of the walls, she tries to catch her breath and calm her dizzy head. The wall feels cool against her temple. She closes her eyes to keep the ground from spinning.

Her breath returns to a normal pace and she opens her eyes to see that the ground has stopped spinning beneath her feet. She looks to see that the wall she is leaning on belongs to an inn or a café of some sort. The café has a deck on the outside of the main building that holds quite a few tables; most of the tables at this time are full, mostly men sipping what she assumed to be tea from porcelain cups. Her eyes float through the groups of men when they settle on a familiar profile.

"Tamahome!" she whispers to herself. As she starts to step away from the building to confront the young man, she feels strong arms going around her waist. The arms jerk her further into the alleyway. As she lets loose a scream, a rough hand comes up to cover her mouth.

                                        *                      *                      *                      *

Tamahome sits at the café, overhearing all the new gossip going around and watching the droves of people move into the city from the main road just outside of it. He takes a sip of his tea and then he sees it. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see someone walking in the crowd of newcomers that is sticking out like a sore thumb. The person lifts their head and he can see her face, it's the girl he left earlier. The one who's friend disappeared in the red light. A pang of guilt twists in his stomach, he knows he shouldn't have left her.

He watches her make her way closer to the café he is sitting at; she has an oddly patterned cloth draped around her. It looks more like a monk's kesa than something a normal commoner would wear about. 

'A wandering monk must have helped her,' he thinks to himself, the pang of guilt twisting even tighter in his stomach. He swallowed hard trying to relieve some of the pressure. 

'She doesn't look too good…' he thinks to himself. He watches her slow her pace a bit the duck into the alley in between the café and the merchant next door. 

'She looks kinda sick…' he thinks as he sees her lean her head against the café's wall. Her skin took on an awful green pallor as she leaned against the wall with her eyes closed. He watches her for a little while longer. Her eyes open and begin to scan the crowd in the café. He turns away from her so as to give the impression that he hasn't seen her.

"I hope she doesn't notice me," he whispers to himself. He checks out of the corner of his eye to see that she has disappeared. He hears a scream that was unexpectedly cut short. His eyes widen as he looks straight in the direction he last saw her at. He looks around group of men at the tables; none of them seemed to notice or care that a girl had just screamed.

'She's in danger, I know it! What am I getting all worked up over?' he thinks as the guilt in his stomach tightens, his thoughts battled in his mind. Should he save her? Yes. Does he believe in who she is? No. Does he believe she is real? Yes, now he does, now that he has seen her again. He jumps from his chair, knowing he is wasting precious seconds battling it over with himself. He knocks his chair over in the process, startling some of the men around him. He flew through the tables and hurdles over the banister of the deck. He ran down the alleyway not seeing anyone there. He slows up as he comes to the back of the buildings. 

He peers around the corner of the cafe after hearing some scuffling to the left. He can see them they have her pinned to the wall of another building. There are three of them; all of them wear about his age. One is standing back looking intimidating, one has her pinned to the wall and the other has his hand over her mouth whispering sweet nothings in her ear. All he has to do now is plan their demise.

*                      *                      *                      *                  *

Alani was scared, her senses were scattered. She wishes she could have screamed Tamahome's name at least once to get his attention. But they had been too quick. She didn't even have time to register what was happening to her. She was grabbed, pulled back through the alley, losing sight of Tamahome instantly. The men were saying nasty things to her, not like she had never heard these sorts of lines before. It was just repetitive to her. 

'Did men have to be the exact same throughout time?' she rambles through her mind. They had not done anything to her yet except kidnapped her. Their hands had not wandered but by the looks of things, they were going to being doing a lot more than having their hands wander. She had to think of a way out of this mess. 

They had her pinned to a wall, her mouth was still covered so she couldn't scream and her arms had begun to hurt from being gripped so tightly. The man holding his hand over his mouth was whispering the same lines to her.

'God! Would they ever shut up!' she thinks as she starts to squirm in their grasp. 

"Oh the little thing wants to fight us now huh? I thought she was going to be a good girl and just let us do what we wanted," the man holding her arms says mockingly. He grabs her even tighter, pulling her just a fraction away from the wall and lifting her so that even her toes couldn't touch the ground and he slams her back into the wall. She grunts from the stinging pain in her back and arms and glares at him. And the next thing that happened, no one was expecting.

The man keeping her mouth shut was knocked away from her. Once the hand was removed from her mouth she growls loudly, swinging her leg right in between the legs of the man that had violated her arms as he was looking in the direction his friend fell. His head snaps back to her as he let go of her arms to cover his groin with his hands. Alani falls, crumpling in front of the man that she had just kicked. He also crumples to the ground, whining from the pain. She looks around to see what had happened to his friends.

"Can't you guys do any better!" she hears a familiar voice taunt. She looks to her left to see Tamahome confronted with the other two men. The one that was holding her mouth shut already had a large knot on his head. 

'He must have been hit with something large, 'cause that is a really large knot. Wait! I forgot! I am in an anime and everything is emphasized by ten!' Alani thinks as she watches one of the men pick up a large metal pipe and charge Tamahome. Tamahome doesn't even flinch. He dodges the pipe being swung at him. Tamahome hits the guy in the back of the neck so hard he begins to fly directly at Alani, the pipe sticking straight out at her, about to impale her at any second.

Alani tries to move out of the way but is so weak she can't even crawl fast enough to avoid the man and the large pipe. She shuts her eyes tightly to her impending doom. She can feel arms grip snugly around her body and has the sudden sensation of flying. She is still waiting for the impact of the pipe but it never comes. She opens her eyes to see the man unconscious next to her and the pipe impaled in the wall were she was sitting just the second before. She jerks her head to the other side to thank the person that saved her but there was no one next to her. 

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you at all?" a voice snaps her out of her trance. She looks into the blue-grey eyes of Tamahome; he was on one knee in front of her, his hand lightly shaking her shoulder. She shrinks a little from him, remembering how much it hurt her when he left her for dead basically. He casts his eyes downward, removing his hand from her shoulder.

"Look... I am really sorry for leaving you out there alone… It was the wrong thing to do." Tamahome says slowly, as if trying to form the words carefully. He plays with the hem of his shirt nervously, some of the guilty tension in his stomach releasing. He knows he is supposed to help her, but it is a lot to take. He brings his eyes back up to meet hers. She is looking at him with tears welling up in her eyes, the clear look of hurt on her face.

"You basically left me for dead out there! If Chichiri hadn't come by when he did I would be dead! You jerk!" she screams at him slapping across the face. Tamahome closed his eyes against it, leaving his head turned, closing his eyes to the stinging sensation and the heat flushing to his face. He deserved it for what he did to her and he accepted it. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight again; his stomach or conscious wouldn't let him. He turns his head back to look at her.

"Will you forgive me? Please? I promise not to leave you alone again until we get you home," he says, preparing his body to stand, reaching his hand out to her.

Alani's eyes shift from Tamahome's outstretched hand and his sincere face. Tears sting her eyes again from her weakness, confusion, and frustration at both. Her face flushes and her tears start to fall against her will to keep them hidden from Tamahome. 

"Aw c'mon! Please stop crying! I said I would help you until you got home! What else do you want from me?" Tamahome pouts. He kneels in front of the girl again, his hands resting on her trembling shoulders.

"I am trying to stop! I believe you, but I am so tired and hungry!' she whines, trying to stop the tears by holding her eyes shut with the heels of her hands. The tears didn't stop, her palms became wet and her body continues to shutter with her crying.

Tamahome is at a loss. He isn't sure what he should do. Her crying form before him continues to rip at his heart, knowing that he caused this. Her crying had gotten to the point that it was getting hard for her to breathe. He could tell the deep breaths were hard for her. If he had helped her to begin with she wouldn't be here like this. He does the only other thing he can think of to stop her crying. 

Tamahome sits on the dusty ground in front of her and pulls her closer to his body. Encircling her in his arms, he begins to rock slightly like he would with a child. He strokes her hair and whispers in her ear, "Its ok… Calm down… Everything is gonna be alright now… I am gonna take care of you."

Alani doesn't fight him, she needs this. In his arms she feels safe, like she has on a few rare occasions with her brother holding her the same way. She buries her head into his chest, the slow rocking motion calming her. Her tears stop falling and her breathing becomes regular again. She begins to drift off to sleep, her tears becoming a faded memory.

Tamahome keeps whispering and cuddling her after her tears have stopped. He looks down to her face. She seems to be resting peacefully. He nudges her a little bit and she sniffles looking up to his face. She gives him a small smile.

"We should probably get out of this back alley before some more thugs come by. You don't need anymore excitement like that today," he tells her, keeping his voice quiet but not quite a whisper.

"Thank you," she eeks out, the tears from a few minutes ago still affecting her vocal cords. She pushes away from him slightly to prepare herself to stand. He stands up and puts both his hands out to her, she takes them gratefully. He pulls her to a standing position. She tries to walk but her legs are still a little to wobbly.

"What was your name again?" Tamahome asks her as he comes to her aid, placing an arm around her waist to steady her.

"Alani," she tells him weakly, as they begin to walk out of the alley the same way they came in.

"Nice to meet you Alani," he says turning his head to face hers, "My name if you haven't caught it already is…"

"Tamahome, right?" she smiles at him, proud that she remembers it. They are about to move back out onto the side street and she removes his hand from her waist.

"I think I can walk fine now. I just needed to get some of my strength back. Thank you again," she tells him moving closer to the crowd. He follows her out, keeping a close eye on her just in case she wobbles again.

"That was a pretty solid kick you gave to that thug. Was that instinct or did you learn that one? You are obviously from a different world and I don't know of many women here that would do anything like that," he comments to her. She chuckles a little at his question. They were nearing the actual marketplace that was swamped with people. She grabs onto his hand not wanting to lose him in the thickening crowd. She didn't feel the shocks of electricity that she did when she held Chichiri's hand and she kinda missed it.

"Well, a little of both, I can tell you the whole story later if you really want to hear it," she tells him, looking over at him to see a slight blush on his face. She couldn't believe it, he can grab her around the waist to support her but she holds his hand to keep from getting separated from him and he blushes? What was wrong with the men here? She grabs his hand a little tighter as they dive head first into the bustling marketplace.

                                *                      *                      *                      *

"Ninny! It's Ancient China! Women normally don't grab men like that unless they have loose morals!" Kiija sneers at a painting of her friend hold Tamahome's hand in the book.

"You know there are people that say we have loose morals as it is being who we are…" Reina states matter-of-factly. Kiija waves a dismissive hand in her direction.

"I know Reina. I am just irritated that she can't remember any of her history except myths for one second," Kiija huffs, snuggling a little deeper into the bean bag with the book in tow.

"I bet you would forget about customs there as well." Reina tells Kiija patronizingly. Kiija ignores Reina as her eyes skim over the blank page, awaiting the appearance of more words on the page. The pages come alive with them faintly glowing red. 

"That still amazes me," Reina says, shaking her head slightly.

"Me too..." Kiija states, taking a deep breath to continue reading, "The young girl and young man entered the marketplace, but just as they entered..."

*                      *                      *                      *

"What's going on?" Alani asks Tamahome worriedly, cinching the grip tighter on his hand.

"I am not sure... can you release the grip on my hand?" Tamahome says, trying to shake her handhold a little. Not that he minds her holding his hand, but the grip is a little too much. 

"The Emperor's Palanquin is coming through the city today. What an honor it is to grace us with his presence. He hardly leaves the palace you know. I heard he is the most beautiful man in Konan..." a young woman babbles to the duo, her eyes sparkling dreamily.

The crowd begins to part in the middle of the marketplace, shoving Tamahome and Alani apart. Alani tries to keep her grasp on his hand but the crowd is just too much. 

'These beasts are worse than Spaniards at a soccer game! I know the true meaning of Reina's phrase, "Not one person can be dangerous, but a whole crowd that can be fatal."' Alani thinks to herself as the crowd rips Tamahome from her grasp. She starts to get the feeling that she would be crushed if she didn't take control of her situation, soon. She starts to fight the crowd back toward the middle of the street, if she was gonna be in the crowd she is sure as hell gonna be up front! She got to her place in front, wiggling between the bodies that had now calmed their maddening pace. 

Tamahome feels Alani lose her grip, begins to yell her name trying to watch for the god awful cloth in the crowd. His eyes search but he can't seem to find her. The crowd simmers down a little and he ends up in the back of the crowd. He moves himself out of the crowd and jumps onto the back of an empty carriage. He scans the crowd again, he can't see her yet but he can see the Emperor's palanquin about 100ft from his current position.

Alani leans out from the crowd, looking in the same direction everyone else was looking. She couldn't understand what they were all staring at; all she saw was a bunch of guards carrying a box. 'How boring is that? I thought the Emperor was coming through in his palan - thingy,' she thinks squinting at the box. Her face flushes as she realizes that the box they were carrying has sheer curtains on it and looks as though it were a miniature home. She knows now why Kiija always told her to get her eyes checked, they were getting really bad.

"So that's a palan... palantin?" she whispers to herself, watching the thing coming closer to her and the details of it becoming clearer in her eyes. 'The Emperor... Hmm... He's supposed to be beautiful huh? I wonder how beautiful a Chinese Emperor could be?' she thinks to herself, beginning to get a little light-headed again. She pulls back into the crowd to keep her head from spinning.

'Kiija said something about the Emperor, didn't she? What was it?' Alani tries to jog her memory about what Kiija had told her. 

"Our Emperor is such a kind and intellectual man. Now, if the Priestess of Suzaku appears, our country would have peace," an older man comments as the palanquin is about to pass him. 

'That was it! Suzaku no Miko! That was the phrase of the day!' she thinks ecstatically, mentally patting herself on the back for it even though another man had mentioned it first. The palanquin passes the old man Alani looks up into its depths to see a handsome silhouette. She charges out of the group next to the palanquin, keeping a nice trot to keep up with it.

"Uhh… Emperor, Your Highness, sir…?" Alani stutters at the silhouette in the palanquin, not sure of how she should tell him about what Kiija had talked about. The sheer curtains open slightly as a slender finger pulls them to the side.

"Are you not one of the women in my harem?" a gentle, demanding voice says to her. She stops dead in her tracks just staring at the palanquin inching further away from her. She picks her pace up to catch it preparing her next speech.

"Uhh… No sir, I am not one of the women from your harem. I would like to speak with you about something called the Suzaku no Miko? I am not sure what it means; however, my friend suggested talking to you… about… it…" the last few words came out breathlessly from her mouth.

"Stop the palanquin!" the Emperor orders, as Alani's eyes glaze over and she begins to fall against the moving palanquin. The palanquin supporters try to keep a good balance as she falls into the side of it. She slides down the side until there is no more and falls to the ground with a loud thud. 

Tamahome watches the procession before him, the blue kesa giving Alani away next to the red palanquin. He senses something is wrong. He watches Alani's footing falter and she falls to the ground hard. A twinge of panic struck him and he began to move toward the palanquin that had now stopped. The Emperor's guards quickly surrounding the defenseless Alani. 

The Emperor watches the scene unfold before him, the beautiful girl that reminds him of one of his harem girls passed out seconds before. His stomach twisted in knots when he heard the sickening thud of her limp body hitting the solid ground beside his palanquin. His guards took over them, him speechless to it all at the moment. Her last words in his head, 'Suzaku no Miko…' It can't be her can it? He watches his guards completely surround the girl now; one sticks his pike out to prod her with it. The next second his palanquin is being flooded with a warm red light. His palanquin is pulled away from the blaze, and his guards back away from the girl as well. He can see straight out from him a young man jumping to her rescue. The mark of a Suzaku warrior shining brightly on his forehead and his body poised in a position to fight anyone that comes near the girl.

"What are you doing? Can't you see the girl is helpless?!" Tamahome yells at the Emperor's guards, some of them looking away from his angry gaze. He looks over to Alani, still amazed that he is seeing this himself. 'She is the Suzaku no Miko. I can feel it' he thinks to himself, moving through the warm red light to check on Alani. She is barely conscious, and calling out 'Kiija!' in a hushed tone. He cradles her into his arms and whispers into her ear, "I am here for you now, and you will be safe."

The Emperor watches the red light subside and the young man moves in to rescue the girl. He gently picks her up into his arms, whispering into her ear. The sign of Suzaku fades from his forehead. As he turns around to remove the girl, the boy is surrounded by his guards on all sides.

"Wait!" the Emperor calls out urgently, "Do not harm them! Escort the girl and her friend to the palace and have my doctor look after the girl! Immediately!" The Emperor watches as his guards regard him cautiously and the young man looks thankfully at the palanquin. The guards return to their station, as two of the guards on horseback lift the girl onto one and the young man onto the other and set off for the palace as fast as they could.

_Alright!! Finally got this chapter done!! WOO HOO!! It took me a little longer with finals and such, not to mention that I am trying to keep the chapter length up…  R & R! You know I love it!!_

_                                          Ja!_


	5. Palace Conveniences?

_      Ok! Here is the first new chapter for the New Year! Happy New Year BTW!! 2002! Wow we actually lived past 2000? I can't believe it! This is what I consider one of my best chapters.. I love it.. It has got some comedy and some drama (and maybe a little melodrama ^_~)  This is the chapter where things start getting really interesting.. I love it!  Please R&R!_

_Kiyasha: *glares at Kiija with a very large paddle in her hands* Aren't you forgetting something???_

_*shinks away from her* Ehehehe Uhh ya.. My friend Kiyasha has an absolutely amazing DBZ story on ff.net as well. Please check it out!_

_There ya happy?_

_Kiyasha: Yes…_

****

_      (The rest of the stuff below is the same disclaimers from Chapter 2, so continue on to the story if you want! ^__~)_

_As usual, I did not create FY, Watase Yuu did. I did however create Kiija, Alani, and Reina. As a matter of fact, they are real people and you cannot steal us! You may be allowed to borrow us for certain things (twisted ideas must be reviewed by the group before using us for your demented whims).  . Yes this means you! _

_      Reviews and intelligent critiques are always welcome. Flames will be used to warm my hands on those particularly cold, lonely nights. *sniff* The more reviews I get the quicker a chapter will get posted, especially if it is completely written already. ^___^_

_                                          Arigatou!_

**_Kowakuteki Gokko (Alluring Game) – Chapter 5_**

**_Palace Conveniences?_**

"Well that worked out better than I thought it would," Kiija sighs, somewhat relieved.

"Better?! How can that be better?! She's passed out in a world with out modern medicine and that is better?!" Reina shrieks at Kiija, the worried tone in her voice apparent. Reina just cannot believe Kiija's seemingly uncaring air about her when her best friend is in such a horrible situation.

"She is better off! For one, they do have medical procedures that many people still use today and they work better than our "Modern Medicine". For two, she has probably just passed out for the exhaustion and stress. In the book time passes faster it has only been a half an hour here but it has been probably something like four hours there. And three, she wasn't arrested like Miaka was originally!" Kiija growls back at Reina defensively, a bright fire flickering in her eyes. The anger flashing on Reina's face subsides as she takes in all the information Kiija has just given her. The expression that replaced the anger was one of complete apology to Kiija.

"At least she will be looked after now and she is in the safest place in all of Konan, the Emperor's palace," Kiija sighs returning to her place in the book.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

Alani could hear the drumming of her heartbeat in her ears, but there was something wrong. That wasn't her heartbeat and she could feel the wind whipping her hair into her face. She forces her eyes open a bit, daring herself to find out what kind of position she was in.

Through the fuzziness, she notices she is moving forward rapidly. As her sight clears, she can see the shiny brown mane of a horse, its long mane being the hair she can feel whipping her in the face. She looks down to a set of strong arms holding the reins to the horse and keeping her in place atop it. Her body is so exhausted she didn't even noticed being lifted onto the horse, let alone its steady pace that she had mistaken earlier for her own heartbeat. Her body couldn't hold out any longer, her eyelids droop and she finishes the ride unconscious.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

Tamahome couldn't take his eyes off her from his spot behind the Emperor's guard on the second horse. 'What happened to her after I left her?' he wonders to himself. A feeling of intense worry came over him when he watched her fall against the palanquin. 

He watches her as she opens her eyes a little, surveying her surroundings. He had begun to wonder if she was in worse shape than he thought when he noticed she didn't even stir when they headed out for the palace. Her eyes gloss over and she passes out again. He felt a little hope rise in him when her eyes opened, thinking she would be ok, but now he wasn't so sure. He breaks his gaze from her as they cross the threshold of the palace gates.

"By the Emperor's orders we have brought this girl and her companion. His Majesty would like to have the girl looked after by his personal doctor," the guard carrying Alani states to some of the servants that had rushed to their side. The guard had already begun to lower Alani's limp body to two of the servants. Tamahome hops off the back of the horse he had rode into the palace grounds.

"I can carry her, just lead the way," Tamahome tells the two servants that had been trying to get Alani's dead weight positioned well enough for them to carry her. Neither servant was bigger than the girl and both were much older than even him, and for one of them to carry her for a length of time would be torture. One servant's arms encircled Alani's chest right above her breasts, making them protrude a little more than Tamahome had noticed before, the other servant had moved himself between her legs and had one arm wrapped around each of her legs right above the knee. It wasn't a very dignified position and one that could be questioned. Tamahome reaches underneath where both men had grabbed the girl and just lifted her into his arms. Alani stirs a little at this and wraps her arms around Tamahome's neck whispering something about her Daddy into his chest.

The two servants nod to Tamahome, then ones motions for him to follow. Tamahome watches the other servant rush off in the opposite direction, following the guards back to the palace gates. Tamahome assumes the guards are returning to their position in the procession and to inform the Emperor that they arrived safely. He turns back to the other servant who is now holding the entrance to the palace open for him to pass through.

He follows the old servant down this hallway and that, passing large similarly gold-gilded doors and whispering hand maidens. Finally, they reach an identical set of gold-gilded doors. The servant pushes open both doors and motions toward the large bed in the corner of the room. Tamahome places Alani down on the bed, propping her head upon the little box pillow.

"I will go retrieve His Majesty's doctor for your companion. Please wait here," the servant bows to Tamahome, rushing out of the room, shutting the double doors behind him. Tamahome nods to the man, still watching Alani closely. Her face flushes, a cold sweat forming on her brow, and her breathing had become slightly labored. He pulls the chair from the vanity across the room and sits next to the bed watching over her.

'I wonder what she is like…' he thinks to himself as he moves a stray section of brown hair from her face. He can feel the fever radiating from her face. He gets up from his chair, sits next to her on the bed and pulls her gently into a sitting position. He pulls the kesa from about her shoulders and moves the sheets of the bed down as far as he can. He rests her head back down onto the box pillow and moves down to her legs, lifting them slightly to pulls the sheets from beneath her. He lays her legs back down on the bed. Before he pulls the sheets over her, he stares at the odd looking shoes on her feet. 

They are black in color, made out of leather it seems, with strings holding them to her feet. He begins to pull one of the loops of string, pulling its end completely out of the knot. Only one loop remains, this time he pulls on the end of the string instead and pulls the loop through the knot, leaving the two strings intertwined. He unwinds the two strings and tries to pull the shoe off but it still won't budge. He pulls at the criss-crossing strings in the middle of her shoe while still pulling gently on the shoe until it finally comes off. He repeats his steps with the other shoe, this one being a little easier to get off. 

He covers her with the sheets and returns to his watchman post on the chair and awaits the arrival of the doctor…

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"Well, it's a little better anyways," Kiija shrugs, snickering a little at Tamahome's adventure with Alani's shoes while she turns the page of the book.

"Are you sure they can take care of her?" Reina questions Kiija accusingly, the worried tone ever present in her voice.

"We have to wait until the doctor comes, we'll see what he says. If he says he can't help her, we will get in contact with her when she comes around and convince her to try and come home," Kiija shrugs, taking in a deep breath to begin reading again.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

It didn't take long, the doctor showed up within minutes of Tamahome assuming his watchdog position. Alani is calling out for Kiija again, her head moving slowly from side to side on the box pillow.

"I think she's got a fever," Tamahome informs the doctor as he rushes in to see his new patient. He is an older man, shorter than Tamahome but taller than the two servants, his hair was held back by a bandana that covered most of his white hairs. His fingers, short and pudgy, meticulously moving over Alani's body, feeling for her pulse and the fever. He notices the doctor makes a point to feel both sides of Alani's face. He runs a finger over her lips then reaches across her body and examines her right arm. He finishes examining her and motions for the servant that retrieved him.

"Bring me some mildly warm tea with some of this root ground into it," the doctor orders, handing the servant what looks to be a ginger root, "And bring me a bucket of warm clean water, a washcloth, and a jug of cool drinking water as well." The servant made his way out of the room, and the doctor turned to Tamahome with a reassuring smile on his face.

"Your friend has a sunburn on the right side of her body; this has been treated well with a rare ointment. However, the side effects of the sunburn are what you are seeing now. The fever is one of a healing sort, to helping with the ointment's progress on the sunburn. She is also severely dehydrated and fatigued. The tea I sent for will allow her body to absorb water faster. The warm bucket of water is for you to clean her up a bit. Give her some of the cool water from the jug to drink about an hour after you have given her the last of the tea. She will need to rest for a few days, but other than that she will be fine," the doctor's reassuring smile spreading a little wider at that last line. He pats Tamahome's shoulder and begins to leave the room. 

"If she doesn't show improvement tonight, after you have given her the tea and water, send for me immediately. I will inform the Emperor that the girl will be fine. If you have any questions for me send Taiso here," the doctor points to the servant waiting outside the room, "to inquire for you. Take care." The doctor shut the double doors behind him. Tamahome relaxed in his watchman's chair, relieved that Alani would be fine.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"See I told you she was just exhausted, and probably a little dehydrated," Kiija says to Reina, the pride at being right at her best friend's horrible predicament evident in her voice and in her posture. Reina shakes her head disapprovingly.

"That is still not good Kiija. You shouldn't be proud of that you twit," Reina reprimands Kiija, poking a finger in Kiija's side to get her point across.

"Bah!" Kiija squeaks, giggling slightly, slapping Reina's hand away from her side, "Stop! That tickles!"

"Oh boy!" Reina exclaims quietly, slapping her forehead with her hand, "Just continue reading please…"

"Hehehe, ok…" Kiija continues to giggle as she finds her place on the page.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"Alani, drink some water…" Tamahome coos at the semi-conscious girl as though she were a small child. He cradles her head in his arm and places the cup of water to her lips. She starts to sip it down when they are interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. Tamahome pulls the cup away from Alani's lips to look toward the door, Alani moaning disapprovingly at his actions. 

"Enter…" he tells the person knocking at the door, not leaving his spot by Alani. He places the cup back to her lips so she can resume drinking as Taiso enters the room quietly.

"His majesty would like to speak with you in his chambers as soon as possible," the old servant informs Tamahome.

Tamahome looks a little shocked at this news, "As soon as she finishes this cup of water." The servant bows and closes the door again. 'What did she tell him that he would want to speak with me for?' he thinks, looking back down at the girl to see she had finished the cup of water and was now snoring peacefully in his arms, chewing on the cup.

Tamahome sweatdrops, "They should have given me something to feed her with too." He tries to pry the cup from her teeth but they won't budge. He decides to lay her back down on the bed where she promptly releases the cup from her jaws to rest on her chest. Tamahome puts the cup back onto the bedside table and gets out of his chair quietly roaming to the door and exiting it.

"I am ready now. Lead the way Taiso," the servant nods to him beginning down the hallway. Taiso led Tamahome through more hallways and corridors; it was kind of hard for Tamahome to keep track of the way they came from Alani's room. He would really have to explore the palace more for himself. They reach a set of doors unlike any of the others. It was indescribable, just one of the jewels off the border of the door would keep him set for life. Taiso knocks on the door and waits for a response. Tamahome hears a muffled, "Enter…" as he had done earlier to the servant. Taiso opens both doors; standing by the one on Tamahome's left as he enters the chamber.

The chamber is enormous! It is a larger version of the room Alani sleeps in. There was more gold-gilded bordering along the edges of the walls, they themselves being a faded golden color. A balcony welcomed him directly across from where he was standing. That is if the Emperor were not standing right in front of him. 

The Emperor is as handsome as the woman from earlier had mentioned. The man's brown hair is pulled up into a small bucket-shaped hat on the top of his head. His golden eyes, very unnerving, were boring a hole right through Tamahome's chest. Tamahome notices a slight disgusted look flash over the Emperor's features before being hidden again. Tamahome had been drooling all over himself; he quickly shook off the amazement and kneels before the Emperor.

"You wanted to see me Your Highness?" Tamahome states as dignified as he can after his recent discretions. The door shut behind him and Tamahome could not feel any other presences in the room with him and the Emperor.

"I did. Please, you can rise now," the smooth, deep voice calls out to him. Tamahome lifts his head to meet the Emperor's eyes; the Emperor had sat down in the chair next to his vanity. The Emperor smiles down at Tamahome nodding to him amicably. Tamahome sees this as a sign that he may stand in front of the Emperor and does so.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions if I may…" the Emperor goads for Tamahome to give him his name.

"Sou Kishuku, My Lord. But everyone calls me Tamahome." The character reacts to his Seishi name, warming his forehead slightly.

"So you are a Suzaku Seishi then?" the Emperor states more than asks as he can see the sign for the Ogre appear brightly before him, "I am the fourth Emperor of Konan, Seishuku Saihitei." The Emperor grabs at one of the frills at the side of his neck and pulls it aside, "You may call me Hotohori," the kanji sign for star shines brightly at the mentioning of his Seishi name. The sign fades and Hotohori removes his hand from his frills putting them back in their place.

"Before you begin to ask any questions of me, Tamahome, I have more questions for you," Hotohori states, raising his hand to stop Tamahome from speaking. Tamahome let his mouth hang open for a second before replying to the Emperor.

"Yes, Your Majesty." 

"Please, you are a fellow Suzaku Seishi. You may refer to me as Hotohori from now on," Hotohori pauses for a moment to let that information sink in then he continues, "Tell me about your companion Tamahome, she very brazenly approached my palanquin and began to speak of the Suzaku no Miko. What do you know of this girl?" Tamahome's eyes shot up at the Emperor, 'I didn't know she was just going to blurt that out to him…' he thinks taking a minute to remember the details of what had happened earlier in the day.

"Well, when I found her she was running from slave traders in the desert about two miles outside the city. The slave traders had captured her friend. Her friend managed to defeat both slave traders. Before her friend could say too much she disappeared in a red light, informing the girl of the title Suzaku no Miko. It seemed as though her friend might have been well versed in the story of the four gods." Tamahome stops there to allow Hotohori think it over.

"Then what happened? The girl seems to be very distressed. How did she get that way?" Hotohori eyes Tamahome questioningly. Tamahome's eyes shot to the floor guiltily. Tamahome didn't want to inform the Emperor that he may have left the Suzaku no Miko out in the desert to die. He thinks through his words carefully before replying to that question.

"I was, in truth, rather shocked and in serious disbelief when I saw her friend disappear. I was already late for a job that I had to do," Tamahome pauses quickly, realizing what he just said; "The girl didn't follow me. I didn't believe she was the Suzaku no Miko." He stumbles over his words anyways and mentally slaps himself for it.

"So you left her alone, in the desert? That would explain the sunburns and dehydration the doctor informed me of. So, how did she get to the city? Did she tell you about it?" Hotohori questions Tamahome, his expression unreadable but his tone understanding.

"I believe she must have had a run in with a traveling monk. When I found her inside the city she had a kesa draped around her body as if it were a robe. It hid her strange clothing but the kesa's pattern kinda sticks out if a crowd as well. I believe he is the one that led her here and took care of her sunburn," Tamahome states, hoping he made sense. After that last line he wasn't sure if he was even saying the words that had formed correctly in his head. He knew Hotohori could understand his doubt but he was still the Emperor and could have him executed at any moment.

"If you met up with her within the city, why were you not next to her when she came up to my palanquin?"

"We had been caught in the crowd that parted in the streets when the procession had just begun and we got separated. Of course, when I saw her next to the palanquin I tried to reach her before she could hurt herself or anyone else," Tamahome looks directly into Hotohori's eyes, swallowing his guilt and grateful that he was going to be executed.

"I have one more question for you. Do you believe she is the Suzaku no Miko?" 

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"The girl's light snores were the only sounds in the dimly lit chamber…"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! Didn't it say anything about what Tamahome's answer was to the Emp… Hotohori? Nothing about him thinking she was or was not the Suzaku no Miko??" Reina asks Kiija taking the book from her hands.

"No…" Kiija growls at her reading being interrupted. She pulls the book out of her hands after Reina looks up blinking in disbelief.

"It is still a book you know. It can't give everything away at the beginning," Kiija growls again at Reina, having thought Reina and lost all sense she ever might have had. Kiija huffs, scrunching further down into the bean bag, still perturbed that her reading had been so abruptly ended.

"*Ahem* The girl's light snores were the only sounds in the dimly lit chamber…"

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"She must be feeling better," a calm sensual voice says, its owner moving closer to Alani's sleeping form. They begin to inspect the girl asleep in the large bed.

"She is definitely a strange one," the person states, running a long slender finger down the girl's face, moving a thick section of the girl's hair onto her back in the process. Alani, sleeping peacefully now, had pushed the box pillow aside, rolled over onto her stomach and her arms had curled up protectively about her head. Her right leg had been kicked out from under the bed sheets, and now dangled over the edge of the bed.

The person watches the girl as she twitches a little, a frightened scowl crosses her face and she begins to moan, "Kiija… Don't leave me again… NO! KIIJA!" the last few words coming out of her mouth, near screaming volume.

"Poor girl…" the person sighs pityingly, putting a strong hand on the girl's shoulder shaking it gently, "Miss, wake up, miss. You are having a nightmare."

Alani starts awake, pushing herself up with her arms. Her glossed over eyes see the figure next to her and assuming it is Kiija, she latches her arms around the person's neck and drags them back down to the bed with her. The person tenses a little at this behavior, but tries to relax in the girl's arms as much as they can.

"Don't leave me again Kiija, please…" Alani whispers into the ear of who she thinks is her best friend, and the person she is holding sweatdrops. She soon takes notice that her best friend has a lavender scent about her and that her hair seems to have gotten quite a bit longer as she was running her fingers through the silky locks. She blinks her eyes open willing them to focus on just who exactly she was holding onto. Whoever it was it wasn't Kiija, Kiija doesn't have long deep brown hair the shines silver in candlelight. Alani sits up using the stranger's arms for leverage, keeping a hold of them, and looking the stranger in the eyes.

"You're not Kiija!" she exclaims. She examines the beautiful face of the stranger, Madonna's song _'Beautiful Stranger' running through her head. The stranger's bright, golden eyes seem almost ethereal to her as they regard her cautiously. She tries to figure out if the beautiful stranger is a he or a she. The beautiful face is very deceiving, she has seen beautiful men before, almost as beautiful as the person before her but a beauty like this could only be female. The oversized robes the stranger wore did not help in giving Alani any hints as to the stranger's gender._

If she had been more awake and in her right mind, she wouldn't have even thought about doing what she did next. Gazing into the stranger's eyes, one of her hands slowly drifts down from the stranger's shoulder to their chest. Not feeling any breasts, Alani blinks patting the stranger's chest with both hands making positively sure that he is male. She realizes what she is doing to the poor guy by the horrified look on his face and she removes her hands from his chest smiling stupidly, a blush creeping to her face. 

"Ah… Hehehe… um… Sorry I wasn't sure you were a guy," Alani says softly to the man, finding her surroundings highly interesting at the moment, the man aghast at the insinuation that she thought he was a woman. Alani's eyes bulge out at the size of the room she was in and that there were no actual lights in the room, just the candle at her bedside.

"Where am I?" she asks the man, her words sounding hollow as her suspicion rose in her throat.

The man finally shook off her words, "You collapsed next to the Emperor's palanquin. The Emperor ordered that you be brought to the palace immediately. I am tending to you while your friend rests a little. You gave him a good scare it seems."

"My friend? Wait. Are you saying I am in an actual palace? So, it wasn't a dream?" Alani says, the last line barely audible. A look of desperation came over her face and she sighs, tears beginning to well up in her eyes again. "Am I ever going to get home?" she whispers, not meaning it to be heard by the man, but he heard it well enough.

"Where is your home Miss…" the man goads her into giving her name.

"Alani, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you," she whispers, wiping the tears away from her eyes. The depression she felt in the desert returning to her, knowing no one would ever believe her, except Chichiri. She misses him already. Tamahome wasn't acting like a child now but he still didn't compare to the compassion Chichiri showed her immediately. He didn't even freak out when she told him her story, he comforted her. The man's response knocked her out of her reverie.

"Miss Alani," the man lifts her chin to meet his eyes, "You don't know if I will believe you or not until you tell me." 

'His eyes show so much understanding,' she thinks, the Madonna song popping into her head again. She searches his face for any signs of deceit; she always had a good way of reading people. Seeing none there she takes a deep breath, giving him a weak smile as she did so.

"My home is in a different world it seems. Believe it or not it is true, my friend and I were transported here and she was transported back. I don't know how to get back to my world either," she says before being cut off by the door to the chamber opening slowly. A head topped with shiny, dark blue hair popped through the opening looking over to the bed Alani was sitting on.

"Ahh! You're awake finally! I thought you were never gonna wake up Alani!" Tamahome tells her jokingly, making his way into the chamber, the worried look in his eyes fading. He didn't really notice the man sitting with Alani until the man turned to face him. Tamahome stops in his tracks to the bed, utterly shocked to see the Emperor without his royal robes and bucket hat. Tamahome immediately drops to his knees bowing to the Emperor and Alani blinks a little shocked to see Tamahome on the floor.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry to have interrupted you. I will leave now," Tamahome starts sneaking out of the chamber still in his kneeling position, not even turning to face the door. The Emperor's voice and Alani's come to him at the same time.

"Tamahome, wait!" Hotohori raises his hand to signal the young man to stop backing out of the room.

"Your Highness?" Alani stares wide-eyed at the man before her, about to have a heart attack. Tamahome looking back and forth between Alani's shocked expression and Hotohori's seemingly unemotional one.

"Tamahome, please," Hotohori gestures to Tamahome to stand next to him. He turns back to Alani his eyes showing remorse, but before he could explain himself she began asking questions.

"What does he mean _'Your Highness'? Who are you exactly?" she spits at who she assumed is the Emperor, not sure if her words came out accusingly or just shocked._

"Let me start by apologizing to you, Alani. I did not mean to deceive you. I was only meaning to get to know you a little better," Tamahome had joined Hotohori at his side silently looking between two people that he knew were going to help changing life as he knew it. Alani was silently waiting for the rest of the man's explanation.

"My name is Seishuku Saihitei. I am the fourth Emperor of Konan and I brought you here and had my personal doctor see to you."

*CRASH* Alani crashed to the floor face first.

"I felt up the Emperor!" she squeaks, picking herself off the floor, rubbing the knot on her head, "Owie, go ahead and continue your story."

"Are you ok?" both men reply to her, each trying to help her back onto the bed, smashing their heads together in the process.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry! Your High- uh Hotohori."

"I am fine. How about you two?" Alani starts to snicker at them, raising an eyebrow, "You know there is a small myth in my world that says if you bonk heads like you two did you are soul mates." Alani begins to laugh at the priceless faces they have on their faces at that last statement. The Emperor's face is not very royal like, eyes wide in shock, hand on his head where his head hit Tamahome's, and jaw sitting on the floor. Tamahome's face is just as good. His face has turned a sickly blue color, his hand also holding his head and his eyes full of disgust shifting back and forth from Alani to the Emperor.

"Ehehe…" the Emperor laughs nervously, trying to avoid eye contact with Tamahome, "Anyways, you had mentioned earlier something about Suzaku no Miko. I didn't catch all that you had said but that is one of the reasons I had you brought here after you fell unconscious. We have a legend in Konan that says a girl from a different world will appear at a time of great turmoil. She will become the Suzaku no Miko and save the Empire. I believe you may be that girl."

Alani points to herself, her giggles stopping suddenly, "Me? I don't think so. I can't even save myself let alone save an Empire. I can't even make a decision without making the wrong one!"

"If you become the Suzaku no Miko, you will be given three wishes to use any way that you would like, including one to get you back home. I am asking this as a favor, become the Suzaku no Miko and help save my Empire," the Emperor's features turn into a regal pleading. Alani's mind began to war with itself. She starts to remember some of the things that happened in the anime from what Kiija had mentioned to her. She knew it was going to be hard, and possibly dangerous. But how was she ever going to get home?

_I am finally getting used to this new longer chapter writing... It seems to be coming to me a little easier. I am so starting to love this story. I hope you guys do too! Please remember to R&R!_

_                                          Ja!_


	6. Ghostly Memories

_GAH!  I feel so bad guys.. its been 7 months since I posted a new chapter!!!  What the heck huh?  Well I started a new job that I am finally just getting used to, graduated college and found a new college to start at next year.  I never did get the NANOWRIMO contest story done.  But I must tell you there is a major reason why this chapter is soo late.  It's because it has no, and I mean NO real action…  It was a major pain to write.  Chapter seven will get better.  More interesting stuff will be coming up soon. YAY! More fun for me to write! **Remember! Reviews are the only thing that is going to keep this thing continuing. R& R and Have a ball no da! ^___~**_

_      (The rest of the stuff below is the same disclaimers from Chapter 2, so continue on to the story if you want! ^__~)_

_As usual, I did not create FY, Watase Yuu did. I did however create Kiija, Alani, and Reina. As a matter of fact, they are real people and you cannot steal us! You may be allowed to borrow us for certain things (twisted ideas must be reviewed by the group before using us for your demented whims).  . Yes this means you! _

_      Reviews and intelligent critiques are always welcome. Flames will be used to warm my hands on those particularly cold, lonely nights. *sniff* The more reviews I get the quicker a chapter will get posted, especially if it is completely written already. ^___^_

_                                          Arigatou!_

Kowakuteki Gokko (Alluring Game) – Chapter 6 

            'Why did he have to ask now? And why did he have to look at me like that?! I don't know what to do. I want to go home but if I accept his offer how long would it take me before I could make the wishes? Isn't there another way?' Alani's mind battled on, her eyes shifting slowing between the Emperor's handsome pleading features to Tamahome's expectant look and back to the Emperor again. She felt exhaustion and the fever coming on again. She closes her eyes tightly, trying to fight the fever back, only to make her head spin again. Her body wavers in the bed; she can hear a worried gasp from Tamahome and rushing footsteps. She feels two sets of arms try to grab for her wavering body and another loud *Thump*.  Both sets of arms release her, as she steadies a little and opens her eyes again.

Both men had a hold of their heads again, glaring at each other. Alani chuckles deeply, taunting them a little, "I tell ya! You two are soul mates!" She closes her eyes slowly to their annoyed glares directed towards her. She wavers a little again, trying hard to fight back the exhaustion.

"I will take care of her for a little while Tamahome," she hears the Emperor's voice tell the other young man in a rather tight-lipped fashion, feeling only one pair of arms around her body this time slowly lowering her back down to the bed. "Get some rest Tamahome, I will send for you when I am unable to watch over her anymore." Alani wonders, slipping back into sleep, why they were treating her as if she were a fragile piece of China. She giggles lightly at the thought.

"As you wish, You- Hotohori," says Tamahome respectively, bowing discreetly to the Emperor before leaving Alani's chambers. Alani opens her eyes to see the door shutting slowly, Tamahome's eyes never leaving her figure on the bed. The Emperor turned back to her nightstand, pouring a cup of water and then turning back to Alani. His beautiful face wrinkling in concern for her.

"Please forgive me for asking so much of you while you were still ill, it seems I have forgotten my manners," he speaks to her softly, moving closer to her, "Would you be able to sit and drink this cup of water, or would you like me to help you?" Her eyes look to the cup, her body not wanting to move anymore, but then at the same time needing to quench her thirst. Looking to him pleadingly, she nods slightly using her arms to push herself up from the bed. Her arms give a little and the Emperor's arms engulf her quickly, steadying her.

"I guess I am gonna need some help," she giggles, looking up to the Emperor's face that was mere inches from hers. She blushes a little from the closeness of him, "Wow, you know you're so beautiful that it is slightly frightening…" She takes a short gasp at realizing what she said to the Emperor, his face flushing a light shade of pink as well, his eyes quickly hiding a fleeting emotion from her. 

"So are you, dear Alani…" he whispers to her, searching her now aqua-green eyes for something. He is not sure what he is looking for as the blush on her face deepens. He breaks the stare, as he positions her in his arms reaching for the cup he placed back on the nightstand when she attempted to sit up. He brings the cup to her lips, and she sips the water contentedly.

"Finish this cup and then rest some. I will have Tamahome come in to check on you through out the night but I will not leave your side yet. You can give me the answer to my question when you have recovered," he coos at her. She nods to him, still sipping at the water in the cup. She finishes the water; he sets the cup upon the table and then lays her back down upon the bed. She falls asleep easily, not understanding the comforting words the Emperor gave her before she did so.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

Kiija looks up from the book blinking, totally shell-shocked at what she just read. She looks back down to the book rereading the last three paragraphs, looking up blinking once again. She feels Reina's odd stare, and the curiosity overcoming her mentor.

"What is it?? What's got you acting so weird? Tell me!!" Reina can't keep her curiosity held back any longer. Kiija turns her face to her, a 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look plastered on her youthful features.

"He didn't agree with her," Kiija tells Reina blankly. Reina furrows her brow at the younger girl, trying for the life of her to figure out what the heck as gotten her acting so weird. Kiija's facial expression hasn't changed and Reina mused how she looked as though Kiija had been scared to death, literally. Reina shirks off the thought, grabbing Kiija by the shoulders and shaking her vigorously.

"What do you mean he agreed with her?" she asks deliberately timing the words with each shake of Kiija's shoulders. Kiija snaps back to the present, looking around herself as if trying to get her bearings. She looks up to Reina's face, a vein had begun to throb at one of her temples.

"Oh… Sorry… It's just that…" Kiija stutters, looking back to the book trying to form her thoughts completely, "Hotohori always agrees when anyone tells him he is beautiful. I don't know of a time in the anime or anything else I have seen him in that he doesn't. What he just said to her… It's just something he doesn't do!" Kiija looks back to Reina, the vein throbbing a little more prominently on her temple now and her eyes were squinting at Kiija in a horribly frightening way. Reina reaches out with her right arm and smacks Kiija upside the head.

"What th-?"

"That's what you were shocked over? Him not agreeing with Alani about his beauty?" 

"That is th--" was all Kiija could reply before being cut off.

"Just continue reading, twit!" Reina snaps at her again. Kiija props open the book finding her place easily at the beginning of a new chapter.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"Alani…" a familiar voice sounds out to her. She is running towards the voice, knowing if she reaches it she can get home. The scenery flies by so quickly as she runs, she isn't sure of exactly where she is. And the voice sounds out again.

"A-la-ni…" the voice sounds worried, and hopeless. She can see the figure appearing before her their back turned to her. They still seem a ways off and no matter how fast she runs the figure seems to keep slipping away from her. The figure turns toward her slowly; its Kiija with tears running down her face, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You didn't finish school with me and we never could open our business… Why didn't you come home?" Kiija whispers to her turning her back on her yet again. Alani reached out for her screaming, "No, Kiija!! I will be there!! We will open the business!! Just don't leave me again!!" The apparition of Kiija faded and another one took her place turning towards her, it was her boyfriend, Devon. His hands were on his hips, a most disgusted glimmer in his eyes and an evil sneer on his face. It shocked her to see him look at her that way, it was downright unnerving.

"Alani, I can't wait for you forever you know? A man has needs, and you haven't fulfilled any of THIS man's needs," he sneers at her, turning away from her sharply. Devon's apparition stalking away from her and another male figure walking towards her, a dejected posture radiating from his whole being. It was her younger brother, Brennen, his sad eyes ripping her apart as she tried to reach him, call out for him but nothing came.

"My dear sister, where were you when I graduated from High School? I missed you. When will you come home?" he says to her pleadingly, his hand reaching out to hers and barely glancing over it. He stopped short of grabbing her hand, and with all her might she tried to grab his but felt nothing. He turned away from her as well, one single tear rolling down his cheek. 

She sat up, a silent scream still formed on her lips. Her eyes shot about the room. Tamahome was asleep in the chair next to her bed side and a warm morning light was drifting in from the balcony doors. She was still in Ancient China. She wipes a stray tear away from her eye and silently gets up from the bed, dragging the coverlet with her. She reaches the doors to the balcony, opening them as quietly as she could. 

She walks out onto the balcony, whipping the train of the coverlet out with her and closing the balcony doors quietly behind her. She walks to the edge to see the balcony overlooks a beautiful garden, lilies, and odd daisies blooming everywhere. There is a beautifully crafted gazebo situated close to the center of the garden. It appeared that two ladies were conversing there. She just stares at the flowing robes they were dressed in; she couldn't pull her eyes away from them. 

Both of the ladies had beautiful deep purple hair, neatly plaited down to the middle of their backs. The shorter of the two was facing her, and caught her glancing in their direction. Alani felt as though she were looking in some sort of looking glass. The shorter woman also seemed shocked; they looked very similar to each other. The taller lady began to look in the same direction as her friend, when she caught sight of Alani a look of pure fear caught in her features. Alani pushes her eyes toward the ground in front of the balcony trying to block the stares from the two women she resembled closely.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"So, I have heard they may have found the Suzaku no Miko?" Lady Korin asks of her best friend, it was early enough in the morning for them to be out in the palace gardens. She enjoys days such as today, the air was warm and sweet smelling. Reminding her of long past memories.

"Yes, the girl was very ill from what I have heard," Lady Houki answers, turning her gaze outwards, her eyes catching something out of Lady Korin's sight.

"Hmph! I would be surprised if such a weak girl were the Suzaku no Miko. Houki, what is it? You look as though you have seen a ghost," Lady Korin asks worriedly of the woman next to her. Lady Houki would not answer her friend but kept staring. Lady Korin followed her gaze and realized what she was looking at. Her heart sank and jumped for joy all at the same time. A beautiful girl, looking in their direction, wrapped in a flowing white robe that filtered the sunlight softly. The girl turns away from them and Lady Korin can't bear to look at her any longer. She flees back toward her chambers, Houki on her tail, and only one thought seems to go through her mind, 'Korin…'

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"What was that all about?" Reina questions confusion blatantly coating her voice. 

"Oh, this is gonna get interesting…" Kiija whispers to herself more than anything else as she continues reading, ignoring Reina's plea for supplication.

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

When Alani looks up from the palace ground to check on the ladies, she sees that neither one of them were still in the garden area. She breathes a sigh of relief, she was never one for unneeded attention, and their fearful stares had started grating her nerves. 

"You're awake I see," Tamahome's voice drifts to her on the morning air. She turns to him, giving him a quick once over. He had tried to stay awake and watch over her, his eyes bloodshot from the lack of sleep. She smiles to him gratefully.

"Did you stay with me all night?" she asks him quietly.

"His Highness, Hotohori, stayed with you until a few hours ago. Then I came to watch over you. You seemed to be so peaceful while Hotohori was here. You seem to be feeling better and your nightmares weren't as bad. So instead of watching you I kinda passed out. It was quite a busy day yesterday. Heheheh…" he finishes, grinning like a guilty child.  He felt guilty for not watching over her himself. He sees Alani's eyes change from the regard with which she had been eyeing him with to a blank despair.  It kind of pulled him to her more; he had to do something for her.  While in his own thoughts, he hardly noticed her float past him back into her bedchamber.

He turns to her, a look of consternation on his face, "You want to go home, right?"  Alani whips around on the balls of her feet to face him, a look of complete disbelief on her face.  Tamahome felt as though he just walked right into a lion's den.

"OF COURSE I WANT TO GO HOME!! IF YOU WERE SPIRITED OFF TO ANOTHER WORLD WHERE YOU HAVE NO ONE TO HELP YOU AND NO ONE YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO GO HOME TOO?!" she bursts out with all the pent up frustration, anger and fear behind her words.  The outburst cost her a little more than pent up anger; her energy level took a shot as her knees began to wobble.  Tamahome's shocked, blinking face was all he could muster as he watches Alani fall flat on her backside.  Once she fell, with a muffled *thud* to the marble floors, Tamahome's expression changed to that of an indignant smirk.

"That's what you get for yelling at me like that," he chides her mockingly.  Alani, none to happy about being mocked, narrows her eyes at him, rubbing her sore bottom.

"Ask a stupid question, get a pissed off answer!" she snaps at him, sending him a vicious evil eye.

"Hmph!  I was just asking! Ya know, trying to help you out and all," he states snidely strolling over to the flattened girl, putting his hand out to her.  Alani smirks evilly at the thought that popped into her head as his hand was reached out to her.

"Thanks…" she grumbles, swinging an arm around to slap his hand.

"…for not…" she continues, clutching onto Tamahome's now stinging hand in a grip that made his knuckles grind together.

"…catching me!" she smirks at the pain reflecting on Tamahome's face.  Alani jerked him toward her slightly, with him reacting exactly as she had hoped he would, pulling back on her arm with enough force to pull her to her feet.

Tamahome smirks as he thought he had just gotten back at the girl that had just yelled at him and made his hand swell.  The momentum Alani had gotten from him pulling her up was too much.  It threw Tamahome off balance and as her body slams into his, she gives him an innocent look, letting go of his hand and pushing just hard enough for him to lose his footing.  He lets himself fall to the floor, smoothing his movements into a graceful backwards somersault into a standing position.

Alani couldn't believe what she just saw, and it showed.  As she blankly applauded his agility, she would have sworn she could see his head swelling at that moment.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Tamahome says proudly, bowing to her in courtesy of her applause.

"Save it, ego-boy.  Tricks like that can only impress me once," she replies haughtily, flinging the coverlet she had been using as a robe back onto the bed.

"Yeah?! Well you should see the other stuff I can do!" Tamahome spat, feeling a little dejected by Alani's sudden change in mood.  Alani turns back to him, eyeing him warily.

"Well then, show me what you got!  I need to get out of this room for a while," she states.  She was feeling much better now, and since she was stuck here at the moment anyway, she might as well find something to do.  With the fever and dehydration faint memories, she felt as though she could have some fun.  Although she could really do without watching Tamahome boost his ego, maybe droning him out while sitting in the garden would give her a chance to decide her fate.  Not that she had many choices, but maybe, just maybe, there would be another way…

                                *                      *                      *                      *                  *

"C'mon!  What do you need to find one silly little '_ryu' for?  We're wasting time that you can show off by looking for it" Alani whines, shifting her weight from one leg to the other, her arms crossed in front of her waiting for Tamahome to find the last bit of money he was missing._

"I know it was around here somewhere…  hmmm…  AH HA!! WOO HOO! Found it!  And for your information, this is my life savings.  This ryu…" Tamahome states, holding up the little gold coin with a square hole in the center for Alani to see, "…can feed a small family for a day."  Alani looks at the coin skeptically, wondering how just one little coin could feed a family when the little coins in her world can't even buy real food.  She also begins to think about how easily she is to part with her money and gives up trying to figure Tamahome's stinginess out.

"C'mon, let's go so you can show me what you can really do," she tells him turning away with a playful smile on her face.  

"Are you still feeling up to it?  You sure you don't want to rest some more?"  he questions her worriedly.

"Yes, I am fine," she states exasperatingly, reaching for his chamber door.  He walks towards her smiling slightly at her annoyance.  As the door opens, Tamahome runs right into an awaiting Taiso.

"Oh! Excuse me Master Tamahome. I was looking for Mistress Alani.  The Emperor is requesting her presence at lunch," Taiso states, bowing properly.  Alani's stomach can be heard growling from behind Tamahome.  Tamahome turns at the sound.

"Eh, hehehe… Looks like food would be a good idea.  Tamahome, do you mind if I watch you later?" Alani asks him sweetly.  The look of disappointment on Tamahome's face is apparent, but he resigns gesturing her out the door.

"Aren't I invited too?" he whines to Taiso.

"His Majesty would like to speak with Mistress Alani alone.  I'm sorry Master Tamahome," he tells the dejected young man before leading Alani away.

"Fine, I'll just... find something else to do," Tamahome says with an air of disenchantment.

"I will return soon, feeling even better, and then you can show me all your cool moves" Alani turns back to him winking, "Besides, you might want to count your money now that you seem to have it all."  Alani turns to follow a waiting Taiso down the hallway.  She can hear Tamahome shut the door to his room, and as she goes to turn down the next hall she hears a rustling further down the hallway.  She turns waiting to see Tamahome sneaking down the hallway behind them but finds nothing.  She shrugs and hurries down the next hallway to catch up with the servant.

_There's Chapter 6! *sigh* I told you no real action.  But what will transpire between Nuriko and Alani when they first meet? Hmm.. Will Alani choose to become the Suzaku no Miko? Who knows?   Wait! I do *snrk*  So, until the next chapter!_

_                                          Ja!_


End file.
